Federico Chiesa will become the answer to a quiz question in the coming years. Who was the only player Liverpool signed during Arne Slot’s first summer at the helm?
It was the Italian, of course, though sporting director Richard Hughes — in his first transfer window in charge — did also try to bring in the Real Sociedad midfielder, Martin Zubimendi. A year on, the list is likely to be longer when it comes to incomings.
In 2024, Hughes struck a deal with Valencia for its goalkeeper, Giorgi Mamardashvili. He will arrive, but there are other needs too. Liverpool should be looking at left-back and number nine most pressingly, but a player who can help give Ryan Gravenberch more of a rest would make a substantial difference too.
As ever, much of what needs to be done in terms of signings will be dictated by who leaves. And with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah still to sign new contracts, they could influence things substantially too.
Liverpool does not need a larger roster of players, but it does need more quality in certain areas. Slot doesn’t want reams of playing staff, but he needs enough that he could trust no matter what the Reds’ next game might be.
For that reason, there will have to be exits. For Liverpool to sign a left-back, for instance, it seems likely that one of the existing players would have to leave to make room — having three would seem excessive.
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Andy Robertson has spoken several times about wanting to prove the doubters wrong, while Kostas Tsimikas has never shown any inkling of wanting to move on before. A move away for the latter would make sense, however, if he isn’t going to get many minutes, though he is under contract until 2027.
In midfield, Wataru Endo is happy with his game time — at least enough to be anything but a problem for Slot even when he is overlooked — but if an upgrade who is more stylistically suited to the number six role at Anfield can be found, that would be a wise step to take. Gravenberch cannot continue starting every single meaningful game, while Harvey Elliott might at some point have a decision to make should his minutes not increase.
And then we come to the forward line, where there is arguably most uncertainty. Darwin Nunez has drawn interest from various clubs in the recent past, including in Saudi Arabia, and the Uruguayan, after three years, doesn’t appear set to ignite in the way it was once hoped he might.
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Moving on seems like the right step for Nunez and for Liverpool. At this point in his career, he looks like he would benefit from a change — and there should be no shortage of suitors for someone who clearly has potential.
There is an argument for cashing in on Luis Diaz if an offer arrives that is tempting enough. At 28, and with two years left on his contract, the Colombian doesn’t score enough goals to be off the table completely when it comes to outgoings. Barcelona has long admired him.
Diogo Jota, because of injuries, and Chiesa, because of his lack of impact since he came in from Juventus, also have question marks attached to them. And then there is Salah’s contract situation. However, you can’t make all the changes at once.
Moving on from players like Diaz would be ruthless and could only happen if a suitable offer for their services arrived. In a big summer period for Liverpool, though, it won’t just be players coming in as Slot and Hughes put together their plans.
