As usual, the Premier League giants have been busy with their summer shopping in order to best prepare for the upcoming season. Among the hyperactive on this transfer market across the Channel, we find Aston Villa at the top of the list. Last 4th in the Premier League and qualified for the Champions League, the Birmingham club wants to offer Unai Emery the most competitive squad possible and is therefore chaining together big purchases as well as great sales. Currently, the English team is the biggest spender in the world with nearly 180 million euros spent and does not seem willing to stop there. If the other English bigwigs such as Manchester City, Chelsea, Manchester United or Arsenal are responding, this is not the case for Liverpool, which is struggling to take off.
At the end of the 2022-2023 season, when Liverpool finished just outside the most prestigious European competition (5th in the standings), the team led with an iron fist by Jürgen Klopp managed to secure the services of talented players such as Dominik Szoboszlai (RB Leipzig), Alexis Mac Allister (Brighton), Wataru Endo (Stuttgart) and Ryan Gravenberch (Bayern Munich) with a view to returning to the top, even if it meant jostling for position in the title race with Manchester City and Arsenal. As the new season dawns, the objectives remain the same despite the handover of power on the Reds’ bench between Jürgen Klopp and Arne Slot, who was poached from Feyenoord Rotterdam and who officially took up his duties on June 1. But while we expected to see Liverpool agitated in all directions under the leadership of the Dutch technician, it is the calm flat while the resumption of hostilities in the Premier League is scheduled in a few weeks.
A handful of departures and complicated files to manage…
So, how can we explain this inactivity at Liverpool? An inactivity that should be qualified, however, given that the Mersey club has parted ways with three key players. First, we can cite the case of Thiago Alcantara. Eaten away by repeated injuries, the Spanish midfielder has missed more than a hundred matches with the Reds since his arrival in the summer of 2020 from Bayern Munich. A failing physique that got the better of him since the Iberian decided to hang up his boots to return to Catalonia and join Hansi Flick’s staff at Barça. After eight years at Anfield, Joël Matip, who tore his cruciate ligaments in his knee in December 2023, also left the ship at the end of his contract which expired last June. Same story for Adrian. Alisson’s backup since 2019 and downgraded for two years as third goalkeeper, behind Caoimhin Kelleher, the 37-year-old Spanish goalkeeper had an offer of an extension, but chose to return to his training club, Betis Sevilla.
If Liverpool is very discreet in terms of arrivals, this can be explained by the fact that the English club has several priorities in mind regarding its squad, namely securing the future of three key elements of the Klopp era: Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. While the Egyptian striker has just entered the final year of his contract, his future is dotted along the banks of the Mersey. Even if Liverpool’s leaders are sounding out the market for his successor, a sale of the Pharaoh is not on the agenda despite offers from Saudi Arabia. Regarding “TAA”, whose contractual situation is similar to Mohamed Salah, the Briton is in Real Madrid’s sights for his versatility and his ability to help out in midfield. If the Merengues have already made contact with the English international, a departure for the 25-year-old player is still not on the agenda and Liverpool is pushing internally to tie him to a new lease. Finally, for Virgil van Dijk, he figures in Arne Slot’s plans for the coming season. And despite the many speculations surrounding his future which worry the Scousers, the Dutchman has hinted that he wants to prolong the fun within the Merseyside club.
Is Arne Slot playing for time?
What about the intentions of Liverpool’s new strongman, Arne Slot? While the Reds’ supporters are still waiting for the first signing of the summer, the Dutchman is prioritising the current squad and the players he currently has at his disposal during his pre-season in the United States. On tour across the Atlantic, the former Feyenoord Rotterdam boss detailed his approach to this summer transfer window.The first goal is to work with these players. Of course, it is a disadvantage that many of them are not here yet (due to Euro 2024 and the Copa America). The positive is that it is an ideal way to see the young players and give them game time. The standards are really high when it comes to bringing in new players because we have such a good squad. Of course, Richard Hughes (the sporting director) and I try to improve the squad as much as possible, but it is not that easy“, the Dutch coach told the press, according to The Mirror.
He pursues : “I inherited a team that is really good, so it is not so easy to find players of the same level or even better, especially since they have to be available. Richard, more than me, is working very hard on this and keeping me informed. If there is any news about it, we will come to you. We already have a good team that I am happy with, but it would be a surprise for all of us if we did not bring in any players. It will probably happen in the end, but for now, we are waiting for our players to come back and waiting for the good ones to sign.“In other words, all scenarios are possible at Liverpool, even if Arne Slot wants above all to get his bearings with his new players before assessing future needs. But for the moment, transfer rumors related to the Anfield residents are not running the streets…
