Ben Doak of Liverpool showing his appreciation to the fans at the end of the pre-season match between Manchester United and Liverpool
(Image: Getty Images)
With Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez wanted to add to Jeremie Frimpong's arrival, a big-spending summer awaits Premier League champions Liverpool.
Wirtz is the subject of talks with Bayer Leverkusen that will break through the £100million barrier with ease, should an agreement be reached, while Bournemouth left-back Kerkez is valued at around £45m.
So, with that being said, which youngsters might be able to save Liverpool some millions in the transfer market this summer? The ECHO dedicated Reds writers take a closer look.
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Paul Gorst
With Liverpool's loan stars set to return to their parent club in time for pre-season training, there will be one or two hoping to catch the eye of Arne Slot when the summer schedule begins in a little over a month's time.
And while players such as Stefan Bajcetic and Calvin Ramsay will be out to offer reminders of their own quality, it could be the returning Ben Doak with the biggest point to prove.
The young Scot enjoyed an excellent campaign with Middlesbrough and has been the subject of Premier League interest as a result, with Crystal Palace seeing a January bid turned down and now Everton also monitoring the situation.
Doak could see a forward line packed with experienced and senior internationals blocking his path but there could be something of an overhaul this summer in the frontline with Darwin Nunez likely to leave and Federico Chiesa's future still uncertain on Merseyside.
Diogo Jota did not enjoy his best season last time out and while there are no plans to sell Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo the subject of speculative and reported interest from Bayern Munich, could Doak profit from the chaos?
Jeremie Frimpong's versatility means Mohamed Salah's Africa Cup of Nations-enforced mid-season absence might not be as pronounced as first feared but Doak might also back himself to do a job for the team while the Egypt captain is in Morocco.
After all, Liverpool viewed him as one of the most exciting players in the Championship last season and would only entertain offers of around £30m in January. The pre-season schedule might just offer up the former Celtic teenager the opportunity he likely craves for Arne Slot's champions, particularly if the rarely-used Chiesa moves on.
Ian Doyle
Arne Slot may have had no issue turning to Liverpool's Academy graduates for the knockout competitions this season, but a quick look at the successful Premier League campaign tells a different story.
Vitezslav Jaros played 11 minutes at Crystal Palace and Jayden Danns 10 minutes at home to Ipswich Town. But the likes of Tyler Morton, James McConnell, Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni weren't afforded a single second in the top flight.
Then there are the raft of loan players such as Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak and Calvin Ramsay, all of whom have had first-team experience under previous boss Jurgen Klopp but appear to have fallen down the pecking order in recent times.
And a difficult season for both the under-21s and U18s highlights that, at present, very few players appear ready to make the step up to the senior team. Ngumoha could be one. But given he isn't 17 until August, his development would perhaps be best served continuing with the U21s.
Bajcetic will be given an opportunity to prove his worth during pre-season next month. However, it could well be the Academy best serves Liverpool's first team by seeing players - such as Luca Stephenson, who has had an excellent season on loan at Dundee United - sold to generate funds that can be reinvested.
Theo Squires
Ryan Gravenberch was one of the obvious stars of Liverpool's Premier League title-winning season as the Netherlands international emerged as a virtual ever-present at number six. But with Wataru Endo seemingly not fully fancied by Arne Slot as a starter, few would disagree that the Reds could do with a natural alternative to the Dutchman - even if it is not a transfer priority this summer.
Perhaps this is where Stefan Bajcetic comes in. The young Spaniard had a strange season out on loan at Red Bull Salzburg and Las Palmas. And while the latter suffered relegation from La Liga, the reports concerning the 20-year-old were still positive.
If selected by Spain for this summer's Under-21s European Championships, he could find himself playing catch-up back at Liverpool in pre-season.
But after being loaned out this season and derailed by injury the year before, it is still a big summer for the Spaniard.
If he catches Slot's eye when back with the Reds, he could be the answer as Gravenberch's deputy. And with the Dutchman suspended for the Premier League opener, Liverpool will need an alternative sooner than they'd like.
While the jury remains out on his long-term Reds prospects, the weeks and months ahead will go a long way to determining if Bajcetic is able to follow through on his early potential at Anfield.