Following a fifth-place finish without Champions League football to offer, Jurgen Klopp and the Reds’ executives must revamp their squad during a crucial transfer season.
With several key players entering the later phases of their careers, Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool have a challenging assignment ahead of them this summer.
The Reds came as near as any team has ever been to winning a storied quadruple the year prior, so last season held a lot of potential. With only two victories in their first eight Premier League games, they battled to keep up in the beginning of the season and lost important early ground to Man City and Arsenal.
Additionally, the Reds never found their footing in the Champions League. A 4-1 loss away to Napoli in the group stage exposed the Reds’ weaknesses and their overstretched roster, and they ultimately lost at the round of 16 stage.
The fact that inexperienced players like Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones were given opportunities while Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota, and Thiago Alcantara missed significant amounts of the year due to injuries did not help.
After Jota and Diaz returned in the beginning of April, they appeared to be back to their best, but it ultimately turned out that they had too much ground to make up with Manchester United and Newcastle in the battle for the top four. However, seven straight victories were sufficient to inspire hope for the upcoming campaign.
Here are some of the most important things for Liverpool to think about before the transfer window, as this summer will be one of the most important in the club’s recent history and a major renovation is anticipated:
Midfield overhaul
Midfield is the key area of scrutiny for Liverpool, with Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara now both aged 32, while the departures of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all left gaps to fill. Fabinho, at 29, looks to be struggling to live up to his early Anfield form and presents a long-term problem which may also need resolving this summer.
Ageing legs has left a dependence on young players such as Jones and Elliott to perform. Alexis Mac Allister’s arrival is welcome, but Klopp is keen to add further option to his squad with two standout names emerging in Inter’s Nicolo Barella and Nice’s Khephren Thuram.
Barella was a key member of the Inter squad which reached the Champions League final and his ability on the ball would enable the Reds to gain more control of matches – something Klopp is continually striving to achieve. The arrival of Thuram, who dominates in possession and is a great ball carrier, would also benefit this cause.
Henderson used to provide a similar work ethic in Klopp’s midfield, but the Reds’ captain is no longer a guaranteed starter. Should moves for neither Thuram nor Barella come to fruition, a new name could enter the fold, with two Atletico Madrid players, Marcos Llorente and team-mate Rodrigo De Paul, having the profile and temperament to play the role previously performed by Henderson.
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