Trent Alexander-Arnold is leaving Liverpool this summer, and he won’t be the only one. While nobody else is going to walk away for nothing, Anfield is preparing for some major transfer activity.
Liverpool has managed to secure the futures of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, so it’s only Alexander-Arnold who will be exiting against the wishes of the club. But Arne Slot may need to get a little bit ruthless, despite having just claimed the Premier League title.
Everyone is united in wanting to strengthen from a position of strength, and that means more transfer activity than last summer, when only Federico Chiesa came through the door. However, new arrivals will pave the way for departures, as Slot molds a squad truly in his image.
So who could be joining Alexander-Arnold in heading for the Anfield exit door? I’ve looked at six major candidates.
Caoimhin Kelleher
Technically, last summer’s incoming business consisted of slightly more than just Chiesa. There was also a future deal agreed for Giorgi Mamardashvili, who will join from Valencia in the upcoming transfer window.
The Georgian won’t be toppling Alisson any time soon, but will surely be expecting to come in as the second-choice stopper. That could finally result in a move for Caoimhin Kelleher.
Into the final year of his Anfield deal anyway, a transfer for Kelleher has been a long time in the making. Liverpool has been lucky to have had him for so long, and he has been the best backup in the business.
While Kelleher might rightly feel a little hard done-by at the arrival of Mamardashvili, it’s probably in his best interests. Alisson still has years left at the top, and the Irishman has done more than enough waiting in the wings.
He deserves to shine as a first-choice somewhere else. Bournemouth is a potential suitor.
Darwin Nunez
It’s hard to see a way back for Darwin Nunez at Liverpool. He’s now had three seasons at Anfield, and it feels like we’re still waiting for him to come good on his potential.
At this point, it’s increasingly clear that if it is going to happen at all, it will not be at Liverpool. The challenge for Richard Hughes is now simply to recoup as much as possible of the potential record outlay that went on the Uruguayan.
One way to maximize the utility of his departure would be to strike a deal with Atletico Madrid which sees Julian Alvarez move in the other direction. That would be a big final contribution from Nunez.
Kostas Tsimikas
Liverpool has prioritized a new left-back this summer. That makes Andy Robertson’s starting place less certain — and calls into question Kostas Tsimikas‘ future at the club.
The bottom line is that Slot will not need three left-backs. He has identified it as an area of the squad where there is room to improve, and Tsimikas could be on the end of a tough call.
But if he does go, he will leave having surpassed all initial expectations. A worthy understudy to Robertson, he has amassed 114 appearances, and can now call himself a Premier League winner.
(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)
Tyler Morton
It has been a frustrating campaign for Tyler Morton. Last year, he was excelling as a leading figure at promotion-chasing Hull City in the Championship, but he has hardly had a kick in 2024/25.
For the second half of the season, that’s been because of injury. But even before he underwent surgery on a shoulder issue, he was not getting much of a look-in under Slot, with Ryan Gravenberch making the deepest midfield role his own.
Liverpool chose the surgical option to try and get Morton back into the best possible shape for the summer. There should be no shortage of suitors, and the Reds might be able to bank a respectable fee for a midfielder who certainly has the skills to make it at a high level somewhere.
Harvey Elliott
We’re getting into less certain territory now, but Harvey Elliott is definitely far more at risk of leaving Liverpool than anyone would have thought possible a year ago. He has failed to get beyond the periphery under Slot.
The manager acknowledged recently that Elliott was affected by an injury, and took some time after recovering to show his best levels. But the 22-year-old will not wait forever for chances, even at his boyhood club.
It would still surely take a big offer to convince Liverpool to sell. But even a hint of availability is bound to have put multiple clubs on alert, with Elliott considered one of the country’s foremost talents when working under Jurgen Klopp.
Federico Chiesa
Having only signed last summer, it would be quite surprising to see Chiesa leave Liverpool. But things have not exactly gone to plan in his debut season.
He recently made his fifth Premier League appearance, at least guaranteeing a medal (though he would have got one anyway). But Chiesa has been a bit-part figure at best, and another two years of Salah at Anfield will do little for his game time prospects.
There have been glimpses of why Liverpool signed him, with his goal in the League Cup final demonstrating that he can spark some impetus into the attack by offering something different. But neither the player nor the club will be satisfied with his level of involvement over the course of the campaign.
Clubs in Italy will be queuing up to take him back, sensing an opportunity to make more use of his undeniable talents. Meanwhile, Jose Mourinho is keen on bringing him to Fenerbahce.
