Koulibaly, Thiago, and Ben Foster? The Signings Liverpool Need to Make to Defend their Premier League crown
After Manchester City won the Premier League at the end of the 2017/18 season with arguably the greatest squad in the competition's history, accumulating a record-breaking 100 points, scoring a record-breaking 106 goals and winning a record-breaking 32 games in the process, they spent a club-record £60m on Leicester City winger Riyad Mahrez. After retaining their title in the 2018/19 season with 98 points and another 32 wins, they spent a club-record £62m on Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodri and £58m on Juventus full-back Joao Cancelo. After finishing a lowly 2nd this time around, deals have already been agreed for Valencia forward Ferran Torres and Bournemouth centre-back Nathan Ake, both believed to be worth around £40m. If it was clear that City were not intent to stand still after winning back-to-back titles, then they seem to be as busy as ever in the transfer market after losing their domestic crown. With this in mind, can newly-crowned champions Liverpool afford another season of no new faces?
This time last year, Jurgen Klopp was being questioned as to why, after amassing 97 points in a single season and coming as close as anyone to delivering Liverpool their first ever Premier League title, the only two signings the Reds had made were West Ham's back-up goalkeeper Adrian and 17-year-old PEC Zwolle defender Sepp Van Den Berg, for a combined £1.7m. Fast forward 12 months, and the strategy of maintaining an almost identical squad for another tilt at the title paid off in the biggest of fashions, as Liverpool equalled Man City's record of most wins in a season on their way to probably the most dominant league win this country has ever seen. But with a midfield and attack collectively approaching 30 and concerns a second season of virtually no investment will cause stagnation rather than progression, where do Liverpool need to improve and who do they need to bring in to defend their title?
Goalkeeper
Adrian's penalty-shootout save from Tammy Abraham in the UEFA Super Cup final to win the trophy on his Liverpool debut instantly afforded him cult hero status among the Anfield faithful, but unfortunately that's where the fairytale began to fade as the Spaniard made several errors in his three months covering for the injured Alisson at the start of the season, and arguably cost Liverpool their place in the Champions League after being somewhat at fault for all 3 of Atletico Madrid's extra-time goals as the Reds were knocked out in the Last 16. Alisson has proved himself to be one of the best keepers in the world since arriving from Roma for £67m two years ago, but a total of 20 games missed through injury last season will worry Klopp and may compel him to look for a more reliable understudy. An ageing but nevertheless top flight-level Ben Foster may well be just the person to fill the void after being relegated with Watford, with a more youthful alternative perhaps being Porto's 20-year-old Diogo Costa who has been tipped by many in his homeland to be the next big thing between the sticks.
Defence
Much like the goalkeeper position, Liverpool's starting back four is almost impossible to improve, with Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all being included in UEFA's Team of the Year back in January. However, the sale of Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg for £10.9m and the injury concerns regarding Joel Matip and Joe Gomez makes a back-up centre-back a key area for improvement over the course of the summer window. Reports of Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly arriving at Merseyside for £80m to play alongside Van Dijk have died down with owners FSG reportedly looking for a cheaper option who is yet to reach their prime. Juventus' Daniele Rugani was meant to be the man to replace Georgio Chiellini but the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt in Turin last summer has put the Italy international's future at the club in serious jeopardy. Now 24 and still with potential to grow, he would be the perfect signing to provide competition at the back with a view to earning a starting berth in the coming years.
Midfield
With Jordan Henderson being named the Football Writers' Player of the Year, Fabinho being touted as a dark horse for PFA Player of the Season and Georginio Wijnaldum having arguably his best season yet in a Liverpool shirt, it might seem odd to say that the midfield is the area Jurgen Klopp most needs to revitalise in the off-season. The manner in which Klopp's midfielders usually dominate the centre of the park as one unit makes their collective performance far more effective than their individual qualities might suggest would be possible, but with age naturally comes a decrease in intensity that could be fatal for a team like Klopp's that is so reliant on energy from midfield. Thiago Alcantara has been strongly linked with a move to Anfield for a reported £43m after signalling his intention to leave Bayern Munich, and the former Barcelona man could be the creative spark that is needed to provide more goals and assists outside the front three. However, at 29 and unused to playing in a relentless pressing system like the one created by Klopp, Thiago would perhaps be a signing that looks great on paper without ever living up to expectations. Wolves' Ruben Neves is a proven Premier League player after two outstanding seasons and has the defensive capabilities and unfaltering work-rate, as well as an exceptional passing range, to slot right in to Klopp's midfield triumvirate and also solve their creativity problem. The Portugal international will not be cheap at 23 with Wolves valuing their midfield maestro at upwards of £75m, but after failing to secure European football next season the Midlands side will not be in as strong a position to turn down big bids for their best players. If Liverpool want to avoid stagnating, Neves would be worth every penny of a £60-70m investment.
Forwards
Mo Salah and Sadio Mane once again produced world-class seasons with a combined 43 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, putting themselves in contention for this year's Ballon D'Or before France Football confirmed that no such award would be handed out in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Roberto Firmino, on the other hand, had an individual season to forget despite his team's successes. The Brazilian had to wait until July to register his first Anfield goal in the Premier League this season, while a solitary goal in Europe was not enough to help Liverpool progress beyond the first knockout stage. The argument that Firmino's lack of goals is due to his work of the ball is wearing thin, especially given the fact that he had 99 shots in the 2019/20 season, the 4th most in the division, suggesting that his finishing ability is the problem that needs addressing. Replacing the No. 9 would seem harsh considering he has still scored 78 goals in his 5 years at the club, but with Luka Jovic reportedly being available for as little as £32m only a year after Real Madrid spent double that on the 22-year-old, now may be the time to invest in a new striker. The Serbian's 27 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2018/19 season was what earned him his big-money move to the Bernabeu, and despite failing to replicate that form in his first season in Spain he remains a deadly finisher in front of goal as well as having a physical presence in the air and quick footwork on the ground, making him a good fit to play alongside Mane and Salah.
This time last year, Jurgen Klopp was being questioned as to why, after amassing 97 points in a single season and coming as close as anyone to delivering Liverpool their first ever Premier League title, the only two signings the Reds had made were West Ham's back-up goalkeeper Adrian and 17-year-old PEC Zwolle defender Sepp Van Den Berg, for a combined £1.7m. Fast forward 12 months, and the strategy of maintaining an almost identical squad for another tilt at the title paid off in the biggest of fashions, as Liverpool equalled Man City's record of most wins in a season on their way to probably the most dominant league win this country has ever seen. But with a midfield and attack collectively approaching 30 and concerns a second season of virtually no investment will cause stagnation rather than progression, where do Liverpool need to improve and who do they need to bring in to defend their title?
Goalkeeper
Adrian's penalty-shootout save from Tammy Abraham in the UEFA Super Cup final to win the trophy on his Liverpool debut instantly afforded him cult hero status among the Anfield faithful, but unfortunately that's where the fairytale began to fade as the Spaniard made several errors in his three months covering for the injured Alisson at the start of the season, and arguably cost Liverpool their place in the Champions League after being somewhat at fault for all 3 of Atletico Madrid's extra-time goals as the Reds were knocked out in the Last 16. Alisson has proved himself to be one of the best keepers in the world since arriving from Roma for £67m two years ago, but a total of 20 games missed through injury last season will worry Klopp and may compel him to look for a more reliable understudy. An ageing but nevertheless top flight-level Ben Foster may well be just the person to fill the void after being relegated with Watford, with a more youthful alternative perhaps being Porto's 20-year-old Diogo Costa who has been tipped by many in his homeland to be the next big thing between the sticks.
Defence
Much like the goalkeeper position, Liverpool's starting back four is almost impossible to improve, with Andy Robertson, Virgil Van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold all being included in UEFA's Team of the Year back in January. However, the sale of Dejan Lovren to Zenit St Petersburg for £10.9m and the injury concerns regarding Joel Matip and Joe Gomez makes a back-up centre-back a key area for improvement over the course of the summer window. Reports of Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly arriving at Merseyside for £80m to play alongside Van Dijk have died down with owners FSG reportedly looking for a cheaper option who is yet to reach their prime. Juventus' Daniele Rugani was meant to be the man to replace Georgio Chiellini but the arrival of Matthijs De Ligt in Turin last summer has put the Italy international's future at the club in serious jeopardy. Now 24 and still with potential to grow, he would be the perfect signing to provide competition at the back with a view to earning a starting berth in the coming years.
Midfield
With Jordan Henderson being named the Football Writers' Player of the Year, Fabinho being touted as a dark horse for PFA Player of the Season and Georginio Wijnaldum having arguably his best season yet in a Liverpool shirt, it might seem odd to say that the midfield is the area Jurgen Klopp most needs to revitalise in the off-season. The manner in which Klopp's midfielders usually dominate the centre of the park as one unit makes their collective performance far more effective than their individual qualities might suggest would be possible, but with age naturally comes a decrease in intensity that could be fatal for a team like Klopp's that is so reliant on energy from midfield. Thiago Alcantara has been strongly linked with a move to Anfield for a reported £43m after signalling his intention to leave Bayern Munich, and the former Barcelona man could be the creative spark that is needed to provide more goals and assists outside the front three. However, at 29 and unused to playing in a relentless pressing system like the one created by Klopp, Thiago would perhaps be a signing that looks great on paper without ever living up to expectations. Wolves' Ruben Neves is a proven Premier League player after two outstanding seasons and has the defensive capabilities and unfaltering work-rate, as well as an exceptional passing range, to slot right in to Klopp's midfield triumvirate and also solve their creativity problem. The Portugal international will not be cheap at 23 with Wolves valuing their midfield maestro at upwards of £75m, but after failing to secure European football next season the Midlands side will not be in as strong a position to turn down big bids for their best players. If Liverpool want to avoid stagnating, Neves would be worth every penny of a £60-70m investment.
Forwards
Mo Salah and Sadio Mane once again produced world-class seasons with a combined 43 goals and 20 assists in all competitions, putting themselves in contention for this year's Ballon D'Or before France Football confirmed that no such award would be handed out in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Roberto Firmino, on the other hand, had an individual season to forget despite his team's successes. The Brazilian had to wait until July to register his first Anfield goal in the Premier League this season, while a solitary goal in Europe was not enough to help Liverpool progress beyond the first knockout stage. The argument that Firmino's lack of goals is due to his work of the ball is wearing thin, especially given the fact that he had 99 shots in the 2019/20 season, the 4th most in the division, suggesting that his finishing ability is the problem that needs addressing. Replacing the No. 9 would seem harsh considering he has still scored 78 goals in his 5 years at the club, but with Luka Jovic reportedly being available for as little as £32m only a year after Real Madrid spent double that on the 22-year-old, now may be the time to invest in a new striker. The Serbian's 27 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2018/19 season was what earned him his big-money move to the Bernabeu, and despite failing to replicate that form in his first season in Spain he remains a deadly finisher in front of goal as well as having a physical presence in the air and quick footwork on the ground, making him a good fit to play alongside Mane and Salah.
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