Jurgen Klopp has done wonders to restore Liverpool to a European superpower. But just a year after winning the league for the first time in three decades, he has to do it all over again.
Their defense of the title last season was weak, and while they saved some face with a late run in the Champions League places, it is obvious that there are some real shortcomings within the squad that must be addressed if they are to maintain their success for years to come.
The transfer business is already underway with the arrival of Ibrahima ‘Ibu’ Konate from RB Leipzig, but much more work is needed to make the cutlery flow again.
We have looked at the situation to identify six important things that Liverpool need to do in the foreseeable future.
Sign Houssem Aouar
Houssem Aouar is on the market this summer / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Klopp would like to promote from within to replace Georginio Wijnaldum for the most part, so there will be more minutes for Curtis Jones, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita next season.
But when Wijnaldum is gone, James Milner retires and Jordan Henderson’s uneven training record, there will be more than enough football to go around even with a new midfielder at the door.
Liverpool need someone who fits their recruitment profile, but also has enough experience to step in immediately. And they should look no further than Lyon’s Houssem Aouar, whose creativity, energy and versatility would go a long way in helping them scale the Premier League once again.
However, he is in demand with reports claiming he could be available for as little as £ 20 million. If someone beats them, Youri Tielemans, Renato Sanches and Nicolo Barella are all options.
Signed Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch is one of the brightest young talents in Europe / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
This one is not as pressing, but Liverpool’s midfield options are aging, and at some point they have to look ahead.
Curtis Jones will eventually lock down a spot, and Fabinho, 27, will remain for a while yet. But the rest of Liverpool’s midfielders are either 30+ or unreliable in terms of fitness, in the case of Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain.
They could do with a long-term midfield signing that will set them up for the next decade, and Ajax wonderkid Gravenberch is a player who has been linked. He has all the physical qualities that Liverpool are looking for in a midfielder and reflects Wijnaldum’s incredible ball-holding ability, while at the same time giving a creative blow to the table.
He has signed a contract in 2023, so he can sign the cheap in a year if he does not extend his deal at Ajax.
Trim the fat
Divock Origi can be moved on / Pool / Getty Images
With the budget tighter than ever due to the economic constraints of the coronavirus pandemic, Liverpool cannot afford passengers. Unfortunately, there are some.
Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi are just a few of the high earners who will not have much of a role to play in the long run. Ben Davies signed in January but has not played a minute while Harry Wilson and Takumi Minamino have returned from loan, but do not appear to have any major future at Anfield.
Move these players on, as well as a few others, and the funds raised can be the difference in landing their transfer targets.
Sign Ismaila Sarr
Ismaila Sarr is on Liverpool’s radar again / Richard Heathcote / Getty Images
90 minutes recently revealed that Liverpool have revived their interest in Watford winger Ismaila Sarr, and it’s easy to see why.
It is clear that Diogo Jota will eventually succeed one of Liverpool’s fantastic front three, but beyond him, the lack of protection for Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane is sparse – especially if Shaqiri and Origi are sold.
Harvey Elliott may have a role to play, but only 18 years old he is too young and inexperienced to be trusted yet. The Reds need a new proven forward, but one with time on their side to settle down and cut out a role for themselves.
Sarr marks all these boxes. He is clearly ranked by Klopp, who tried to sign him a year ago, and he has already got used to playing with Mane with Senegal, so everything makes sense.
Sell a new deal for Mohamed Salah
Mohamed Salah’s goal record is extraordinary / Pool / Getty Images
Each of Salah, Mane and Firmino is out of contract in two years, and although it is possible that one of them can move on before then, it can definitely not be Salah.
Egypt were in the shape of their lives despite Liverpool’s fight last season, scoring 31 goals in all competitions, and he will only be 31 when the deal ends.
If the club plays their cards right, they could still get four more seasons of consistent goals from him, and his mythical presence would undoubtedly help the transition to the next phase when the current harvest of Liverpool players.
Create depth in the hill
Each of Liverpool’s full backs currently does not have brilliant understudy / Visionhaus / Getty Images
Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson are two of the best fullbacks in the industry, but you do not win titles with just starters. Klopp needs some reliable protection for his formidable duo.
Kostas Tsimikas was recruited last summer to play second fiddle to Robertson, but the Greek has yet to win his trust, with just six minutes of Premier League football to his name. On the other hand, the lack of depth is even more prominent, with only Neco Williams – who is rumored to be leaving a permanent deal – available to cover Alexander-Arnold.
A versatile fullback would undoubtedly alleviate the burden, and RB Leipzig’s Lukas Klostermann could do the job. Familiar with playing in back four or back back three, he is good on both feet and can run up and down the field all day without stopping for breathing.
If Klopp wants a more creative defender, Atalanta’s Joakim Maehle had a formidable euro, while Hamburg’s Josha Vagnoman and Norwich’s Max Aarons are younger, cheaper alternatives.
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