How will the 2024/25 campaign end for Liverpool?
Will the exultant players be perched atop a big red bus, celebrating three shiny trophies to add to Anfield's cabinet as they wend their way through Merseyside's packed streets?
Whatever happens, you'd think Arne Slot's Redmen have done enough to lift at least one, for Liverpool are 15 points ahead of Arsenal with just two months of the Premier League campaign still to go. To slip from this point, well, it would be unprecedented, and unendurable besides.
Liverpool players celebrate Mo Salah's goal
On the other fronts, much will be clearer this time next week, with Liverpool's looming fate against Paris Saint-Germain decided and Sunday's Carabao Cup final wrapped up too.
During last week's first-leg victory over PSG in Paris, Alisson took all the plaudits and rightly so. But praise for Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, who stood steely and stubborn in the defensive third as they limited the spaces their opponents could fire from.
It's a formidable partnership, but FSG are looking to sign a new centre-back all the same. Let's dig into exactly why that is.
Why Liverpool want a centre-back
Liverpool are anticipating a big summer. Slot has only welcomed Federico Chiesa to the fold thus far, with a deal also agreed for Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili in 2024; he arrives this summer.
giorgi-mamardashvili-valencia-premier-league
According to The Athletic, the club are looking to land a new left-back and a high-class central defender, ostensibly as Van Dijk's long-term successor.
Van Dijk - as with Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold - has been one of Europe's standout players this season. He's Liverpool's all-inspiring leader and one of the finest defenders of his generation.
Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah celebrate for Liverpool
You can understand why tying him down to the final few years of his prime is viewed externally as a necessity, but Liverpool need to prepare for his departure all the same.
Liverpool's captain turns 34 this summer, and while he has the technical quality, intelligence and experience to keep performing at his apex for a while longer, FSG cannot sell themselves short - which is exactly why they are looking to invest this year while extending the Netherlands star's stay too.
Meanwhile, Konate is approaching the final year of his £70k-per-week deal, and while he's been engaged in negotiations regarding a renewal, these discussions have become protracted, with reported interest from PSG and Real Madrid heightening the negative noise.
So then, who has sporting director Richard Hughes got in mind?
Liverpool leading race for PL star
As per Caught Offside, Liverpool are said to be leading the race for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi, who is approaching the final year of his deal. London's most prominent clubs, including Tottenham Hotspur, are also keen on signing him.
Last summer, Newcastle United saw a series of bids rejected for the Three Lions star - the last of which exceeded £65m - and Palace would be looking to bank some £80m for his services this year.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi celebrates after the match
It's hard to imagine suitors such as Liverpool would entertain such an exorbitant notion, and while Steve Parish may be trying to pull the strings ahead of an inevitable summer saga, FSG will likely manage to engineer a deal worth less - if they get there first, of course.
What Guehi would bring to Liverpool
There's a reason Guehi, 24, is coveted by so many outfits seeking the highest station in the Premier League, and blended in with Liverpool's preexisting defensive options, he could become a real superstar.
Crystal Palace's Marc Guehi in action
Liverpool have done their homework. Toward the end of last year's summer transfer window, discussions were held concerning Guehi.
One of the myriad Cobham youth stars found across Europe, Guehi left Chelsea for Selhurst Park in a deal worth £18m three years ago, since amassing 145 appearances across all competitions, scoring eight goals.
He's developed nicely, building a strong defensive base while fostering impressive ball-playing skills to bespeak his suitability at the highest level, for a club such as Liverpool.
This season, Palace have failed to kick on under Glasner's wing, albeit improving over the past few months. Guehi has been instrumental.
Indeed, the unflappable centre-half has been hailed by correspondent Bobby Manzi as a "top professional and a phenomenal talent."
As you will see from the data below, Guehi has been a pillar of strength over the past several top-flight seasons, despite injuries limiting his availability under Glasner, in the thick of Roy Hodgson's downfall, and indeed the club's collective struggles to match the heights last year.
Marc Guehi in the Premier League
Match Stats (* = per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Clean sheets
Touches*
Pass completion
Dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Total duels won*
Stats via Sofascore
Improvements are evident. In fact, Guehi's potency in goal-involved sequences and his progressiveness - FBref record he ranks among the top 20% of Premier League centre-backs this year for successful take-ons per 90 - are traits shared with Konate, who the data-driven site list as one of his most comparable players.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
This would be perfect for a Reds team seeking a long-term successor to Van Dijk's throne but one whose athleticism and energy could also match Liverpool's other thriving backliner. A hybrid, of sorts.
Guehi has been described as "one of those versatile CBs who can play both sides equally as comfortably" by analyst Ben Mattinson, something Van Dijk excels in.
Liverpool's Ibrahima Konate
Landing a player with qualities already working perfectly in Slot's Liverpool project makes it a no-brainer. If a more affordable figure can be agreed upon, Liverpool simply have to sign this "absolute tank" of a defender - as he has been called by former England U21 teammate Josef Bursik.
It could cement the rearguard for many years to come, providing Konate with a partner he can get on the same wavelength as, smoothing the transition away from the Van Dijk era.
Szoboszlai-Quansah-Nunez-Liverpool Related
Liverpool struck gold on star whose value has risen 253% since Slot joined
This rising talent could become one of the best in the business over the coming years.