Former Liverpool midfielder Joe Cole believes the Reds may need at least five new players in the summer transfer market
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Liverpool head coach Arne Slot with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah
(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Joe Cole expects former club Liverpool to spend big in the forthcoming transfer window - but is braced for the departure of some big names. Under new boss Arne Slot, the Reds have enjoyed a hugely successful season having reached the League Cup final and moved 12 points clear at the Premier League summit with nine games remaining.
However, there are question marks over the future of many players, not least Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who at present are all set to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season despite talks ongoing with Liverpool over respective new contracts.
In any case, Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are likely to oversee a host of changes in the squad with the Reds having revealed they are in the market for a new number nine and also expected to pursue reinforcement at left-back.
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And while Cole is confident Liverpool will fend off the challenge of Arsenal and win a record-breaking 20th championship, he believes the possibility of so many exits mean the Reds will be splashing the cash this summer.
“Liverpool will be thinking that Trent Alexander-Arnold is going to leave, and I think that winning the league is a nice way for Mo Salah to go out," said Cole. "Virgil van Dijk might stay, but you just don’t know.
“A club like Liverpool don’t let these contracts down to the last six months without accepting that they need to go, and they’ll refresh the squad.
"There will be provisions in place for new players coming in. If Trent, Salah and Van Dijk leave, they’ll need at least five players coming through the door. You can’t replace like-for like, and they’ll need to strengthen in other areas."
Speaking to Paddy Power, Cole added: “They’re going to win the league, and that’s an incredible achievement in any season. At one point they looked invincible, and they’ve had a little run of games where they’ve lost including in the Carabao Cup final, but it’s still been a sensational season for Arne Slot. Five signings coming in the summer is about right - they'll spend a lot of money.”