Liverpool won the Premier League title by 10 points last season, but sporting director Richard Hughes has wasted no time in getting to work on some further improvements for Arne Slot.
The Reds have already brought in Jeremie Frimpong, and talks are ongoing for Florian Wirtz, a world-class talent who could see the British transfer record broken. Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez also appears to be a primary target.
It is less than a week since the Champions League final took place — the final fixture of the 2025/26 season. And though it is only 32 days until Liverpool returns for pre-season training, Liverpool is getting ahead of the game.
What else does it require, though, before the end of the summer? And what else might Slot and Hughes be aiming for in the market, both in terms of incomings and outgoings? Let's go department by department.
Goalkeepers: Alisson Becker, Giorgi Mamardashvili, Vitezslav Jaros.
WithCaoimhin Kelleher having been sold to Brentford this week and Giorgi Mamardashvili having been signed ahead of time, Liverpool is in a good place in the goalkeeping area. No more work is required there.
Defenders: Conor Bradley, Jeremie Frimpong, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Jarell Quansah, Joe Gomez, Andy Robertson, Milos Kerkez.
Thanks to a handy release clause, the capture of Frimpong for a relatively modest fee of around $39 million (£30 million) means that Liverpool has already made a step towards replacing Trent Alexander-Arnold. Conor Bradley will also help with that, of course.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during the final training session of the 2024/25 season.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot during the final training session of the 2024/25 season. (Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
In an ideal world, Milos Kerkez would arrive to bolster the ranks at left-back, which could see Kostas Tsimikas move on. And at center-back, having missed out on Dean Huijsen, who moved to Real Madrid, another elite option would be perfect.
That player would ideally be a long-term successor for Virgil van Dijk, though, so it can't just be anyone who comes in. Ibrahima Konate also needs to be tied down to a new contract.
Midfielders: Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo, Florian Wirtz.
Wirtz could be viewed as either a midfielder or a forward (or most likely a bit of both). If he is to play in the forward line most often and Harvey Elliott is to move on in search of more regular minutes, then bringing in another midfield body would be wise.
Wataru Endo is happy to stay and play a minimal role while the main four midfielders from last season have their positions nailed down. Ryan Gravenberch, meanwhile, has alleviated the need to spend big on a number six.
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Tyler Morton should move on, while James McConnell, Liverpool.com reported this week, is drawing interest from elsewhere. Trey Nyoni is very talented, but is more likely to be one for the future than the immediate term.
Forwards: Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota, another pacy attacker.
If Wirtz is viewed as a forward, then he might be the replacement for Darwin Nunez, who continues to attract interest from Saudi Arabia. It would be logical for the Uruguayan to move on after three years on Merseyside.
If Wirtz is going to play in a more withdrawn role, however, then another attacking player would be a must. Eintracht Frankfurt's Hugo Ekitike has been linked, but at the suggested price tag of $109 million (£84 million), that doesn't seem like good value.
Liverpool continue to hold talks with Bayer Leverkusen in an attempt to sign Florian Wirtz this summer.
There might be decisions to make on some players — Federico Chiesa, for instance, hasn't been trusted so far — but Liverpool won't want too many changes at once. It also doesn't want to lose Luis Diaz.
The extent of the work required in the forward line essentially boils down to how Wirtz is viewed. And even if he is seen as a false nine, then Chiesa, given he has featured so little and this is a World Cup year, could still leave.
The number of incomings needed will depend on the outgoings. In a dream world, someone like Alexander Isak or Julian Alvarez would be available, but neither seems likely.
More realistically, some added pace and goal threat from somewhere should be sought. If that is Wirtz, then the focus can switch to another midfield body instead — where there might be more options on the market.
It should be an interesting period. There are at least two more players that should be priorities even after Wirtz and Kerkez (center-back and either midfield or attack), and that is before the third need — selling some stars — which could open up space for more signings. it's shaping up to be the most interesting Liverpool pre-season for some time.