Right from the moment Arne Slot got to work in his new job at Liverpool F.C., there was a sense that FSG had appointed a coach who knew his stuff.
But, perhaps, even FSG's chiefs hadn't expected such a startling ascension to the peak of the English pyramid; not 12 months into his role, Slot clinched the Premier League, he won it with dominance, Liverpool's quest never really in doubt after Manchester City peeled away before a harsh winter dragged them down further still.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot celebrates after winning the Premier League
There's no question sweeping changes are now needed: Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving for Real Madrid on a Bosman, and Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is on the verge of joining as his replacement.
Plenty more, such as a striker, since Darwin Nunez is leaving, is needed. However, numerous areas could be strengthened.
Liverpool only brought Federico Chiesa into the fold, signing the injury-prone Juventus star for a cut-price £12.5m fee. Chiesa, sadly, hasn't kicked on, only starting one top-flight fixture.
The right-sided Chiesa was always up against it, for Mohamed Salah has just produced a talismanic campaign for the ages.
Mohamed Salah's historic season
Salah scoring goals is no new thing on the English scene. The Egyptian has been one of the most destructive forwards in European football since signing for Liverpool in 2017, leaving AS Roma for a £34m fee.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah
The 32-year-old's season rubber-stamped his reputation as one of the finest to do it. Journalist Uri Levy has even said, "Mohamed Salah has a very good chance to go down in history as the greatest Premier League player of all time."
And for good reason. Football is a team sport, but Salah has dragged his side toward gold. Across all competitions this season, he's scored 33 goals and provided 23 assists across 51 matches.
His 28-goal return in the Premier League has also seen him break into the division's top five goalscorers in history. With a two-year extension penned last month, Salah has a golden opportunity to overtake Harry Kane as the second-highest scorer of all time, behind only Alan Shearer.
All-time Premier League Top Scorers
Rank
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5.
Stats via Premier League
He's a true great, and Liverpool will struggle to replace him. Indeed, it would take an incredible feat to find a bigger talent than the winger, but FSG might just have found such a player ahead of the summer transfer window.
Liverpool make staggering offer
Spanish outlet Sport have made something of a bombshell claim concerning Liverpool and Barcelona, the latter of whom wish to sign Luis Diaz this summer.
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Standing in the way of La Blaugrana's bid is Florian Wirtz, with the Bayer Leverkusen sensation at the top of FSG's shopping list. The report actually reveals that Liverpool have presented an 'astronomical offer' to Wirtz as they look to beat Bayern Munich to the 22-year-old's signature.
Signing Wirtz won't be easy, even though Manchester City have pulled out of the running. Firstly, Bayern consider themselves favourites to sign the player, keeping him in his homeland, while Leverkusen are also looking to fetch a sum of €150m (£126m) for their star man.
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz reacts
For now, a waiting game, with the ball very much in the attacking midfielder's court.
What Florian Wirtz would bring to Liverpool
Wirtz is a young and up-and-coming talent. Oh, he's also one of the most talented and effective in the game. Former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes has even called him "the best midfielder in the world."
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz
Debatable? Certainly. Unfounded? Certainly not. Wirtz might only be 22 but he's already racked up 197 appearances for Leverkusen, scoring 57 goals and providing 65 assists.
He's not just a goal-getting machine, either (not that that's a bad thing). As per Sofascore, Wirtz has created 29 big chances across the past two Bundesliga campaigns, with his athleticism underlined by physical metrics: he's averaged 2.6 dribbles and 5.2 successful duels per game in 2024/25.
florian-wirtz-bayer-leverkusen
Given the Germany international's skyrocketing journey to the highest echelon of European footballers, still so young, he could prove to be the best attacking player the club has seen in a very long time, maybe even eclipsing Salah.
Though 'The Egyptian King' has cemented himself in immortality, he was once discarded by Chelsea after failing to make his mark at Stamford Bridge. A career revival with two clubs in Italy propelled him back to the Premier League, but it wasn't until he was 25 that Jurgen Klopp came calling.
Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong applaud fans with teammates after the match
Moreover, Wirtz has been described by journalist Zach Lowy as a "world-class" player who "could win the Ballon d'Or one day."
From a wider, longer lens, Wirtz's minutes will need to be managed to ensure he doesn't burn out toward his thirties, having featured prominently across his fledgling years and having already overcome an ACL injury.
But his startling output and indeed the staggering £126m fee that Liverpool may have to pay highlight a ceiling that might not even be there. That is to say, Wirtz's potential is boundless; with such talent and athleticism, he truly could become one of the greatest contemporaries in the Premier League and supercharge the Slot era toward a sustained spell of dominance, both domestically and abroad.
He's got all the tricks and plenty more flicks besides, but Wirtz is also a focused and intelligent player whose decision-making and application have led talent scout Jacek Kulig to praise his "sensational blend of flair and creativity."
And he's only just getting started. With Slot tinkering away at the player's skill set, we may well see him go from strength to strength and become one of the deadliest players in Europe, if he's not already.
It's a high bar to reach for, but he might just prove himself an even bigger talent than Salah.
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