It’s no surprise that thoughts are beginning to turn to the summer transfer window now for Liverpool fans. And should things go to plan, the Reds could have a pretty impressive-looking team next season, even with one big name departing.
With just nine games remaining this season, Arne Slot’s side is now focused on wrapping up the Premier League title, having missed out on the Carabao Cup and having their Champions League dreams ended by Paris Saint-Germain.
A league triumph, which should be a formality given Liverpool’s 12-point lead over Arsenal, will represent a successful first season in charge for Slot. Having said that, there are some obvious areas for the Reds to target in the summer, especially if Trent Alexander-Arnold is to depart.
The Liverpool vice-captain is in the same boat as Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, with all three set to see their contracts expire in the summer. But while there is a degree of optimism around potential new contracts for the veteran pair, most Reds fans are resigned to losing Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid.
Liverpool though may already have a replacement in mind. It’s Liverpool.com’s understanding that the Reds hold a genuine interest in Jeremie Frimpong, who looks unlikely to remain at Bayer Leverkusen this summer.
Frimpong would be an exciting option to come in as Alexander-Arnold’s replacement, and would offer a similar dynamic alongside Conor Bradley, offering perhaps a more attacking outlet from right-back compared to the Northern Ireland international. What’s more, he already seems to have nailed the Scouse accent.
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If Frimpong is to make the move to Anfield, then he would surely be joined by a few other new faces – or at least, you would hope he is. Milos Kerkez seems like a good bet as Liverpool looks for a new left-back, with speculation growing around the Bournemouth star.
And there’s also plenty of talk on who the Reds may sign as a new striker. There’s no doubt an upgrade is needed on Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota, and the former could even be used as a bargaining chip in a potential transfer.
All of the noise at the moment surrounds Julian Alvarez and Alexander Isak, and as much as we’d love to sign both, there’s absolutely no reality in which both make their way to Anfield. Neither are going to come cheaply, so it’s a question of which Liverpool is more likely to go for.
Isak would undoubtedly be a phenomenal signing, but the interest in Alvarez does seem to be more fully formed given his agent has confirmed Liverpool made an attempt to sign him last summer from Manchester City. With that in mind, it’s the Argentine who we can perhaps see as the more likely signing this summer.
(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
Should all of that come to fruition, Slot would have the makings of a team that should terrify the likes of Arsenal and City next season. Although Giorgi Mamardashvili will be arriving from Valencia, Alisson Becker remains the best goalkeeper in the world, so he should keep his spot as the Reds’ No.1.
Hopefully a new contract is on the horizon for Van Dijk, resulting in him taking his usual spot alongside Ibrahima Konate in defense, with new signings Frimpong and Kerkez flanking them on either side.
The midfield takes on a familiar look, with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai having shown why they should be trusted in the long-term, although the engine room does still need some bolstering.
If Salah stays, then he undoubtedly continues on the right, with Cody Gakpo on the opposite side as they link up with their new teammate Alvarez, who will hopefully form the sort of understanding we used to see when Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane were in their heyday.
Liverpool possible XI next season: Alisson; Frimpong, Konate, Van Dijk, Kerkez; Gravenberch, Mac Allister; Salah, Szoboszlai, Gakpo; Alvarez.
