With Liverpool’s Champions League campaign coming to an abrupt end, their focus now shifts towards shaping the future to ensure they are even better equipped for the competition next season.
Fine margins decided their last 16 tie with Paris Saint-Germain, who won a penalty shoot-out at Anfield on Tuesday night, and now the Reds will set about bouncing back.
There is a Carabao Cup final to win on Sunday, a Premier League title to wrap up and big transfer decisions to be made ahead of a mini rebuild as boss Arne Slot prepares for his second season at the helm.
Salah Unlikely to Complete Barcelona Switch
Egyptian would struggle to leap ahead of poster boy Yamal
Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah
The future of Mohamed Salah is one of the situations set to come under fresh scrutiny at Liverpool. There have been whispers of Barcelona offering him an escape route to La Liga, giving him a final shot at the top level. Reports suggest it would require a pay cut on the wide attacker's side, but the reality of such a move seems far-fetched - even at a time when no breakthrough is being made on Merseyside.
For one, Barca’s teenage sensation, Lamine Yamal, is blossoming into their new poster boy. He is already delivering in the Champions League, providing the spark that helped them into the quarter-finals just hours before Liverpool suffered their surprise exit, and his rise makes it hard to see where a 32-year-old Salah would fit in.
Mohamed Salah's statistics for Liverpool this season
The Egyptian remains in peak condition and still sees himself as a key player, not a bit-part figure in a team building for the future. Equally, talk of Rafael Leao heading to Anfield should be put on ice. While his age and profile make sense, informed scouting sources suggest his style and recent inconsistency do not fit the Liverpool blueprint.
An expensive move for the AC Milan forward would be a risk the Reds are not expected to take on this summer. That’s not to say there won’t be movement up front - quite the opposite.
Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota both face uncertain futures, Darwin Nunez is expected to leave, and there’s little prospect of Federico Chiesa having a future at Anfield. With so many moving parts, Liverpool’s attack could look very different by the time next season kicks off.
We recently reported how the Reds are genuinely interested in Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig, while they would also hold an interest in speaking to Alexander Isak if the opportunity were to arise. At the moment, the chances of him leaving Newcastle United, though, seem slim.
Reds Scouting Cherki Amid Rich Vein of Form
Lyon talisman has put himself in shop window ahead of summer
Rayan Cherki in action for Lyon
The need for a new forward seems more urgent on the back of Liverpool's Champions League exit. With Salah not scoring, Liverpool lacked conviction when chances arose to kill off PSG. It is expected that situation will be explored in more detail soon, while another attacking player to look out for could be Rayan Cherki.
It is believed he remains a player that is being scouted in France while enjoying good form for Lyon. Cherki - who has been described as a "future Ballon d'Or winner" - only wants to move to England if an opportunity crops up at a top club and, at the moment, he is putting himself in the shop window for such a move. The 21-year-old has nine goal contributions in his last six Ligue 1 matches.
Borussia Dortmund looked to sign him in the winter transfer window, only for his route to Signal Iduna Park to be blocked, but it is expected a deal is more possible in the summer. Liverpool are not yet committed to a pursuit but would be more likely to do so if space opens up in the squad after player departures.
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Perhaps the strongest transfer connection to Liverpool right now is Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez, and it is certainly a deal that has potential. He is a great fit for their style of play and is available at a reasonable fee of £40m at a time when they are beginning to consider a successor to Andy Robertson at left-back. Antonee Robinson, of Fulham, has also been under consideration.
The disappointment of the Reds' European loss will sting right now, but there is no time to waste as the club focuses on bouncing back - on and off the pitch.
All statistics courtesy of Sofascore - correct as of 12/03/2025.
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