Arne Slot has won the Premier League title with Liverpool, and now work has begun to ensure that the success is sustained. It could be a big summer at Anfield.
The summer transfer window will offer Liverpool the chance to bolster its ranks. And having only added Federico Chiesa to their roster in 2024, with Giorgi Mamardashvili already signed up, more additions are likely to be on the way.
Martin Zubimendi was the talk of the town in the last summer window after the Real Sociedad midfielder snubbed a move to Anfield to remain in La Liga. Now, the priorities lie elsewhere in the full-back positions and number nine, with Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah, thankfully, tied down to two-year extensions.
Earlier this week, Arne Slot refused to talk about specific transfer targets ahead of the summer when he was asked about them ahead of facing Brighton.
“I think again it’s going to be a boring answer,” he said. “So, for the whole season, it was about the contracts of three players and now we are arriving in a time where everybody wants to know which players we are going to bring in!
“The answer is going to be the same. We don’t talk about the players we want to bring in in public until the moment they have signed for us, and then you can ask me everything about them.”
“First of all, then you assume that we are going to bring in new players,” Slot said later in the same press conference. “And I’ve said many times already that we, as a club, are very happy with the players we’ve got.
“Part of it is our decision but in some situations players that haven’t played a lot are not looking forward to another season not playing a lot. So, there’s always an ongoing process and we have to make sure that we are prepared if we can strengthen the squad.
“This club has always done that, no matter if we have 19, 20, 21 or 22 players. If we feel we can strengthen the squad, we do so but it’s difficult to strengthen this squad. There’s a reason why we won the league — because we have so many great players.”
If the right player becomes available, Liverpool is in a position to go for it. Here’s a look at the current squad numbers that are vacant…
Number 6: The iconic number six shirt at Liverpool, previously donned by Thiago Alcantara, has been left unclaimed since the Spaniard’s contract concluded last summer. Traditionally a number associated with defenders, recent trends have seen it adopted more by midfielders or those playing just ahead of the backline.
With Ryan Gravenberch’s stellar rise this season, he might want to return to his old Ajax number. Another strong midfield option would be no bad thing for Liverpool to add and perhaps they could take the number six jersey.
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Number 12: Joe Gomez was the last player to don the number 12 shirt, a number he held for seven years until 2022 when he switched to number two. The shirt has been worn by some Liverpool legends over the years, including Sami Hyypia, Robbie Fowler, Ronnie Whelan and Ian Rush, to name just a few.
Milos Kerkez has been linked with a move to Anfield to provide competition for Andy Robertson, and he could potentially be in line to take on the number 12 shirt. The shirt has also been worn by goalkeepers in the past, notably Jerzy Dudek, so it might be an option for Mamardashvili.
Number 13: Adrian claimed the number 13 shirt as Liverpool’s third-choice goalkeeper towards the end of his time on Merseyside. Football superstitions may deter some from taking on this squad number, considered unlucky by some. However, in the past, Adrian, Alisson, Alex Manninger and Scott Carson have all sported it.
Number 15: Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was the most recent occupant of the number 15 shirt during his stint on Merseyside. The ex-Arsenal midfielder had a promising start to his Liverpool career, but it was unfortunately marred by injuries.
Number 23: Since Luis Diaz was handed the iconic number seven shirt, the number 23 jersey has been left vacant. Cody Gakpo has since joined to bolster the Reds’ wide options, but that hasn’t quelled rumors about more attackers coming in.
Other available squad numbers worth noting are 16, 22, 24, 25, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, and 33. Jeremie Frimpong wears number 30 at Bayer Leverkusen.
