If the first summer under Arne Slot was quiet for Liverpool because its new head coach was still bedding in, a year on, it couldn’t be in a better position to capitalize and kick on.
Too often in relatively recent times, Liverpool has looked like winning the league before falling away again. Even when it had won the Premier League and the Champions League under Jurgen Klopp, there wasn’t a period of dominance.
In large part, of course, that was because of the team it was up against — Manchester City — but this feels different. Pep Guardiola’s side requires major surgery, and Mikel Arteta is busy making excuses for why Arsenal hasn’t been able to take charge of the situation. Liverpool has the chance to pull away from the pair and win the title again.
It looks like Jeremie Frimpong will be the first Liverpool signing of the summer but it promises to be a big few weeks for the Reds. More deals beyond that are required.
Next up, the priorities should be left-back and number nine. Anything else after that would be a bonus, if anyone comes available on the market that Liverpool perhaps thought would be unattainable initially.
Most departments — center-back, for example — can be fluid in as much as if the right player comes up, sporting director Richard Hughes can make a move. Number nine, though, is a must, and left-back isn’t that far behind in terms of importance.
(Image: Jurgen Fromme – firo sportphoto/Getty Images)
Bournemouth defender Milos Kerkez has already hinted that he would fancy a move to Anfield. And he would offer the same kind of injection of energy on that flank that Frimpong could on the right.
While we don’t know exactly what kind of striker Arne Slot would go for if he had a blank sheet of paper in front of him, we do know that an upgrade on Darwin Nunez is necessary, and Diogo Jota’s injuries and inconsistency mean he isn’t as reliable as he once was.
It seems odd to say it for a team that could win the Premier League title by 15 points or so, but those are two areas not of concern, but certainly where there is a real need to find the next level.
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“The Reds are heading into a massively important period and they will need to refresh and restock in the transfer market,” Liverpool legend John Aldridge wrote in his Liverpool ECHO column this week.
“I think Liverpool could be looking at least four or five new players coming in. I would love to see them be aggressive and proactive when it comes to securing what is needed to kickstart the next stage of the evolution under Slot.”
If Liverpool can get in a left-back and a striker — whoever that might be — that would really take what is already the best team in the country by a distance to the next level.
Frimpong might signal the start of a big summer, but he won’t be the end. And combined with Slot actually having ample time on the training pitch to further hammer home his ideas, it could be Liverpool’s most exciting — and important — summer in years.
