Liverpool set transfer records last summer, but finds itself needing to spend once again. Virgil van Dijk's previous request still holds true this time around.
17:38, 11 Jun 2026
Netherlands' defender #04 Virgil van Dijk signs autographs after a training session at KC Current Training Facility in Kansas City on June 10, 2026, ahead of the 2026 World Cup football tournament.
Liverpool may need to once again heed Virgil van Dijk's transfer message. (Image: JUAN MABROMATA / AFP via Getty Images)
Five games into the season, few would have predicted that this is where Liverpool would find itself in the summer. Arne Slot had just begun his title defense with five straight wins, with many of the constituent parts from a record transfer window still to be properly integrated.
Fast forward to the present, and Slot is gone, with Liverpool having scraped Champions League football more by luck than judgment. None of last summer's signings ever developed into unqualified successes, and the Reds undeniably regressed despite spending more than $550 million on transfers.
The main challenge for Andoni Iraola will be to get a tune out of the current squad, whose quality remains plain for all to see. None of the recent business is a write-off just yet, even if all of the signings still have much to prove, and there is enough talent already at the manager's disposal for Liverpool to put together a much better campaign.
Even so, it feels inevitable that the Reds will need to make more waves in the transfer market. Sanctioning the departure of Mohamed Salah has left a particularly sizable hole, and the words of Virgil van Dijk from last summer are ringing true again.
Speaking after the Community Shield, Van Dijk called on the club to reinforce the attack. He took exception to an interviewer's claim that Liverpool now had lots of forward options, asking, "Do we?"
"We just lost Darwin, he went to Saudi and we lost Lucho, he obviously went to Bayern," Van Dijk reeled off. "I think there’s always room for an attacker in order to strengthen us, so let’s see what the window brings."
Clearly, the personnel are different this time around. But the loss of Salah is a heavier blow than either Darwin Nunez or Luis Diaz, and there's a good chance that Federico Chiesa follows him out the door.
Perhaps even more significantly, Hugo Ekitike is expected to be missing for a significant amount of the new campaign. He was the most successful of last summer's additions, but Iraola will have to make his initial plans without the Frenchman being a part of them.
Liverpool's French striker #22 Hugo Ekitike on the bench ahead of the English Premier League football match between Liverpool and Brentford at Anfield in Liverpool, north west England on May 24, 2026.
Hugo Ekitike faces a long spell on the sidelines(Image: Paul ELLIS / AFP via Getty Images)
Naturally, the big hope is that record signing Alexander Isak can step up. His debut season was more or less completely derailed by injuries of his own, although he still found time to score a couple of important goals that at least gave a tiny preview of his promise.
But even if Iraola can unlock the version of Isak that was on show in Newcastle colors, Van Dijk's point still stands: there is always room for more. Before any transfers, Liverpool's initial senior options look something like this:
Left-wing: Rio Ngumoha, Cody Gakpo
Striker: Alexander Isak
Right-wing: Federico Chiesa (likely to leave)
This is more than just a depth problem. Even if by some miracle they could all stay fit across the rigors of a full season, there would not be enough goals here to truly challenge at the top level.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool reacts towards Federico Chiesa of Liverpool during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Liverpool at Villa Park on May 15, 2026 in Birmingham, England.
Even if he stayed, Federico Chiesa could not be Liverpool's sole natural option on the right wing. (Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Yan Diomande would certainly be a step in the right direction, amid reports that Liverpool is making significant progress on a deal. But even then, the Reds would arguably benefit from more options.
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Admittedly, long-term injuries like the one Ekitike has sustained always pose an awkward recruitment problem. Much as Liverpool cannot afford to jeopardize a big chunk of the campaign, nor can they ignore the reality that the striker will be back at some point, making a huge outlay on a temporary replacement a questionable move.
But as things stand, one injury to the notoriously fragile Isak would leave Iraola without a recognized number nine. Gakpo or Florian Wirtz could fill in, but a season of constantly shuffling the pack rarely leads to success.
It's a conundrum that Richard Hughes will have to grapple with. But if he is ever in doubt, he could do worse than listening to Van Dijk's advice: there's always room for another attacker.