Alisson Becker reflects on the high level of turnover at Liverpool this summer transfer window
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker
Liverpool goalkeeper Alisson Becker(Image: Michael Steele/Getty Images)
Alisson Becker admits Liverpool face a huge challenge in trying to adapt to a summer of change in the transfer market that has seen eight players signed and seven leave. The Premier League champions kicked off the defence of their crown on Friday night with a 4-2 win over Bournemouth in a game that featured four new starters in Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.
The Reds also confirmed the £26m addition of Giovanni Leoni before the game and had £29m goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili on the bench, while Arne Slot has also bolstered his shot-stopping ranks with the captures of Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman during the window.
Talks opened with Crystal Palace over captain Marc Guehi last week while Liverpool will move if given encouragement from Newcastle United for a potential British record move for Alexander Isak.
On the outgoings, the likes of Luis Diaz, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Darwin Nunez have all moved on alongside Jarell Quansah, Caoimhin Kelleher, Tyler Morton and Nat Phillips.
Ben Doak will be next once his £25m departure to Bournemouth has been confirmed and speaking after Friday's hard-fought win over Bournemouth, Alisson believes the level of turnover cannot be ignored so easily when critiquing performances in the early going.
“I think it’s hard," Alisson told NBC. "Not many people talk about the changes we had in the team.
“Everybody’s said how good our team is becoming with new players coming in, but nobody talks about the challenge that this is. It is a big challenge.
“Last season we had the challenge of changing the manager, but you keep the players so you know each other, you just have to keep the same way of playing.
“The manager was smart in the way he did that and also implementing new things, it was easy for us to understand.
“But having new players to come in and changing a lot. Today (we didn't have) Ryan (Gravenberch), who is a really important player for us, didn’t play as well. But everybody did amazingly well.
“I think for them to play, for Jeremie, for Flo (Wirtz) and for Hugo, playing for the first time in the Premier League, you have the physicality that’s a little bit different, the intensity.
“But they showed up so well today, they played amazingly well. Of course with our help, but they showed that their qualities are at the standard of Liverpool FC.”
The champions return to action when they are entertained by Newcastle at St James' Park on August 25.