Richard Hughes is wasting no time when it comes to improving Liverpool’s squad this summer.
Arne Slot won the title at Liverpool almost a month before the Premier League actually finished this season, giving Hughes and his team a slight advantage in the transfer window.
Whilst the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea will have been fighting to secure their respective Champions League spots, Liverpool were able to turn their attention to the summer ahead.
And with Liverpool already set to sign Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, they’ve certainly put that time to good use.
Slot and Hughes have identified key targets and deals are already well advanced, and there might be three new faces arriving at Anfield – Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, before the likes of Arsenal have signed anyone.
Gary Neville can’t believe Real Madrid’s deal for Trent Alexander-Arnold
That being said, Gary Neville admitted he was ‘stunned’ by another excellent piece of business Liverpool have already done this summer on the ‘It’s Called Soccer!’ podcast.
Neville admitted his surprise that Liverpool were able to recoup £10m for selling Trent Alexander-Arnold early to Real Madrid.
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
Photo by Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
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Xabi Alonso’s side have paid a premium to get Alexander-Arnold in time to play at the Club World Cup, and Neville labelled the deal as ‘incredible’.
Speaking on the podcast, Neville said: “Honestly, no, I mean, I’m stunned by that really, that £10m has changed hands for, but there is £100m pounds at stake in this World Club Championship and Real Madrid have got a great chance of doing it.
“So you imagine if he plays in this tournament, they haven’t got a right back that’s playing there naturally at this moment in time. So it could be money well spent in four or five weeks.
“I just find it crazy that you’re spending £10m to have a player for five, six games. It’s incredible.”
Liverpool’s Florian Wirtz move labelled ‘fantastic’
Thereafter, the pundit also spoke glowingly about Liverpool’s efforts in terms of the players they might recruit this summer.
Neville labelled Liverpool’s move for Wirtz as ‘fantastic’, even if he was a little bit surprised by the ‘big’ fee the Reds were willing to pay.
Liverpool are ready to shatter the British transfer record to sign Wirtz, a sign of their determination to back Slot this summer.
Neville said: “I think when you’re talking about winning the league, what is it that improves you? I mean, the only thing that’s going to improve you when you win the league is signing world-class players, or players that have got the potential to be world-class players. So signing Wirtz is fantastic.
“Frimpong and then there’s talk of Kerkez as well, deals with their right and left back situations.
“So to get those three done, if they were to get those three done quite quickly, would be smart business. But I wouldn’t have expected anything else from Liverpool.
“Maybe slightly surprised that they’ve gone so heavy on Wirtz in terms of the fee. They don’t normally go that big, but Slot deserves it, by the way. He waited 12 months for a player to sign.”