Liverpool are being tipped for another busy summer in the transfer market - but should that really be the case?
Liverpool manager Arne Slot (right) speaks with sporting director Richard Hughes after winning the Premier League title
Liverpool manager Arne Slot (right) speaks with sporting director Richard Hughes after winning the Premier League title(Image: Kieran McManus/REX/Shutterstock)
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Liverpool will hope they have another two full months of the season to go. But for some, already the concentration has shifted away from the action on the field and the possibility of rumour, speculation, conjecture and maybe even some actual business during the next transfer window.
The World Cup will dominate attention at the start of the summer but, with the window opening on June 15 before closing at the end of August, there is plenty of scope for ins and outs.
Liverpool were compelled to undergo major squad changes in the close season last year, with some predicting the same again this time around regardless of who is in charge.
But is that really feasible for sporting director Richard Hughes and the Reds' recruitment team? And should it be happening? Our ECHO writers take a look...
Ian Doyle
The natural reaction from some after an underwhelming season is to look to sell as many players as possible. But it's already almost certain there will be several high-profile departures from Anfield this summer.
Mohamed Salah has confirmed he is off and, unless Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate agree new deals in the next three months, they'll be on their way also. null will also be expected to depart, although not to Aston Villa with his proposed move to the Midlanders now unlikely to be realised, while Kostas Tsimikas, on loan at Roma, is also likely to go.
There will also be question marks over Federico Chiesa given his negligible impact this season, while established players such as Curtis Jones, Wataru Endo and Joe Gomez may also be targeted after failing to nail down regular starting roles.
And that's before discussion turns to Alexis Mac Allister given the lack of talks over a new deal, while Cody Gakpo has been linked with moves elsewhere after a difficult campaign.
But hang on a minute. If they all leave, that's 11 players, all of whom are Premier League title winners. Even if Elliott and Tsimikas aren't counted due to not being involved with Liverpool this season, that's still nine. And with the Reds needing around three additional senior players to bolster the current numbers, that would leave them needing to make 12 signings.
That simply isn't going to happen. But even if just Salah, Robertson and Konate depart, that still leaves Liverpool significantly short given realistically they already need a few more additions on top of Jeremy Jacquet, the 20-year-old centre-back who is arriving from Rennes in a £60million deal.
Liverpool won't want another summer overhaul like last season. However, while they won't spend anywhere near as much on players, the reality is they may not have much choice but to bring in a plethora of new faces to provide much-needed strength in depth.
Mark Jones
So in case you hadn't noticed, Mohamed Salah is off at the end of the season. And Ibrahima Konate and Andy Robertson are both out of contract as well, with no news on any new deals as of yet.
While we're at it, it would be difficult to imagine Wataru Endo, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott still being at the club next season, while the odds are against a Kostas Tsimikas return and Curtis Jones has been attracting interest from elsewhere, and... Well, you get the picture.
Liverpool might have had something of an overhaul last summer but this isn't Football Manager. You can only do what it is feasible to do.
All of which means surely the club will think long and hard about letting likes of Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, and indeed Jones go. The deal would have to be a very tempting one for them to consider it, and perhaps even a replacement already lined up.
Jeremy Jacquet is an exciting new arrival of course, but he still looks quite raw. More established names will need to be added in almost all positions, and signing players is often pretty hard to do.
So I wouldn't be expecting a mass exodus outside of the likeliest departures. Liverpool's squad has looked thin all season as it is, and it can't get any thinner.