Arne Slot's tactical nuances have led Liverpool to their 20th league title, and in the first year since Jurgen Klopp decided to pack his bags and hand the keys to someone new.
The Premier League champions have played with an indomitable air about them all year, almost a shoo-in for the trophy after Manchester City peeled away when Rodri fell, with Arsenal struggling to mount the consistency needed amid injury issues.
Klopp was renowned for his full-throttle brand of football, a gegenpressing auteur whose name is now synonymous with the energetic counter-attacking brand.
Slot has made some changes, all right, but some things have stayed the same. Mohamed Salah is still Liverpool's all-inspiring talisman, albeit having hit his stride with more confidence and culture than perhaps ever before.
But Virgil van Dijk, while hardly underrated, has been every bit as brilliant. Bringing the Netherlands star in for a world-record fee has proved to be something of a masterstroke.
Virgil van Dijk's importance for Liverpool
When Liverpool paid £75m to take Southampton's star centre-back from them, rivals smirked as FSG forked out an excessive amount of money for a half-decent defender.
Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk-1
He's been a monstrous, transformative addition, recognised for years now as one of the finest players of his generation, with Jamie Carragher even declaring on social media that he's "the best centre-back we've ever seen in the Premier League".
The 33-year-old signed a new two-year deal in April, keeping him as Anfield's captain until 2027. After the consummate role he has played for Slot's Reds this term, it's without question that this was a major coup.
Virgil van Dijk for Liverpool
Tough-tackling, intelligent and commanding, he's a paragon of style, quality and leadership, all wrapped into the perfect defensive player for a team challenging for the biggest prizes.
We mustn't forget the importance of reliability. Across the span of his Premier League career with Liverpool, the injury inflicted by Jordan Pickford has resulted in the only time Van Dijk has missed extensive action.
Virgil van Dijk - Prem Career by Season at Liverpool
Season
24/25
23/24
22/23
21/22
20/21
19/20
18/19
17/18
Stats via Transfermarkt
Liverpool saw a golden opportunity way back when and acted with intent, now they reap the benefits every year. Sporting director Richard Hughes has a lot on his plate, but the way he's moving, it looks like Liverpool could repeat this historic signing, somewhat, in the coming weeks.
Liverpool agree terms with PL star
According to Fabrizio Romano, Liverpool have agreed personal terms with Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, who has "said yes" to moving to Merseyside this summer. As Romano noted, talks are still underway with the Cherries.
While a deal for Bayer Leverkusen's Florian Wirtz remains in the pipeline, Liverpool are desperate to sign Kerkez, with securing a new left-back one of the club's biggest priorities heading into the off-season.
Previous reports suggest Cherries owner Bill Foley wants a £45m fee to allow Kerkez's departure, and this is pretty steep. However, Liverpool know when a deal is worth pursuing, and this one sure is.
Why Liverpool are desperate for Milos Kerkez
Van Dijk showed Liverpool a new brand of defensive ability, and it was his arrival that proved the most transformative for Klopp's project, which broke away from the feel-good feeling of being an exciting outfit and stepped into the realm of greatness.
AFC Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez
It might seem overblown to be hinting that Kerkez can achieve a similar feat, but he really is one of the most exciting full-backs in the business, and only 21 years old, the "frightening thing is he's not even at his peak yet", in the words of pundit Izzy Christensen.
We don't know how good Kerkez will become, but what we can do is analyse the data so far.
Milos Kerkez vs Andy Robertson in the Prem (24/25)
Match Stats (*per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Pass completion
Big chances created
Ball recoveries*
Dribbles*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Ground duels (won)*
Stats via Sofascore
Andy Robertson is an "absolute legend", as per Sky Sports' Carragher, but he's now 31 and lacks his one-time vim and vigour, moving far less and providing diminished creative support.
This is, in part, due to those tactical nuances Slot has woven through the fabric of Klopp's team, keeping the Scotsman in a more grounded and secure role, but there's no question he's past his best.
Liverpool's Andrew Robertson celebrates after the match
Kerkez was more creative, more active across almost every metric in the Premier League this season, so it's clear this upgrade was needed if Liverpool are to build on their title-winning campaign.
Liverpool battled their way through the 2024/25 campaign and won confidently despite objective flaws, but Kerkez would dynamise the backline, restore its equilibrium to its maximum level.
Milos Kerkez for Bournemouth
Van Dijk certainly paved the way in that regard, made it possible for Klopp's grand plans to take root in FSG's mind, who saw that they could indeed drive Anfield toward the very forefront of domestic and European football and keep it there.
In 2016/17, Liverpool's last full campaign without the Dutchman, they finished fourth and conceded 42 goals. Two years on, the year the Reds lifted the Champions League, they finished second in the league with 97 points, boasting the meanest defence in the division, having shipped just 22 goals.
While the Hungarian prospect is young, he already has a comparative wealth of experience in the Premier League, featuring 66 times and notching ten goal involvements, a key part of Andoni Iraola's rising side.
Hailed for his "winning mentality" by journalist Richard Henczi, Kerkez is the real deal, having been courted by Manchester City and Real Madrid before Liverpool consumed the narrative and made it clear he would be playing at Anfield next year, barring some unforeseen stumbling block at this stage.
milos-kerkez
There's no question Kerkez has been a "revelation at Bournemouth", Carragher again, and there's little doubt in Slot and co's minds that he could be the same for Liverpool.
He has started his Premier League career the right way, joining an up-and-coming team among the division's middle pack and standing out, earning the attention of the biggest hitters.
Van Dijk did the same, arriving at Liverpool as a Saint, but leaving, when that day comes, as a god.
Liverpool Coutinho Related
[He's the new Coutinho: Liverpool set to sign "generational" star very soon](https://www.footballfancast.com/hes-the-new-coutinho-liverpool-set-to-sign-florian-wirtz-very-soon/ "He's the new Coutinho: Liverpool set to sign "generational" star very soon")
Liverpool are moving quickly to make new signings for Arne Slot's side.