Liverpool’s Summer Plans: How Should Arne Slot Strengthen his Side
Arne Slot’s men are currently in party mode with a holiday to Dubai after wrapping up the Premier League title with four games to spare. The Dutch head coach has also followed suit by going on his own trip to Ibiza.
However, that hasn’t stopped the hierarchy at Liverpool pushing ahead with plans for the summer transfer window. The Reds are reportedly in ‘advanced talks’ to sign Bayer Leverkusen star Jeremie Frimpong, who has a £29million release clause active this summer.
There has also been contract with Frimpong’s German teammate, Florian Wirtz. The attacking midfielder looked set to join either Bayern Munich or Manchester City this summer, but Liverpool have acted quick to jump the queue and secure the ambitious deal.
But as much as their needs to be incomings, outgoings are also going to play a pivotal role in deciding Liverpool’s summer plans.
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock spoke exclusively to Anfield Index and shared his thoughts on how the Reds can strengthen in their bid to secure a record-breaking 21st league title…
Strength in Midfield
The midfield partnership of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch has been one of the key factors behind Liverpool’s success this season. However, Warnock still believes that another body in midfield could be really useful heading into next season.
“I think they will look to strengthen the midfield area,” said Warnock, “There has been a heavy load on Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones this season.”
“He [Slot] doesn’t seem to fully trust Wataru Endo or Harvey Elliott as much as the others,” continued Warnock, “I think he feels that Elliott hasn’t quite reached the heights since his injury earlier in the season so I do think he will want to improve in that area.”
That observation is fascinating considering Liverpool’s interest in signing Wirtz, whilst RB Leipzig’s Xavi Simons also remains high on their list. Should Elliott be moved on, or even used in either of those deals, then a slot would certainly become available for one of those players.
In the deeper positions, Liverpool obviously missed out on Martin Zubimendi last summer before Gravenberch’s revelation of a campaign. Players like Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller is still mentioned as a potential target, but it seems quiet on that front at the moment.
Striker Options
“The centre-forward position is tricky because we don’t know what an Arne Slot striker looks like. Is he like Bobby Firmino or someone like Erling Haaland?” said Warnock.
“He hasn’t bought anyone in that position yet so it’ll be interesting to see what kind of forward he goes for.”
“We’ve seen Diaz play regularly as a false-nine so maybe he does want someone who will drops off into space deeper.”
Liverpool are expected to strengthen their front-line this summer, whilst the likes of Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa are expected to be moved on. Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak likely remains the dream target, but others have been mentioned too.
Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ektike has been linked strongly, while there have been murmurs over potential moves to sign Sporting CP’s Viktor Gyokeres and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen.
