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Liverpool have endured a difficult second Premier League season under Arne Slot as an expected title defence has surprisingly turned into a battle for Champions League football. 

The Reds were predicted to fight on all fronts throughout the 2025/26 season, and while cup successes could still arrive, the current squad has shown it needs further additions if it is to be a successful long-term. 

Over £300 million was spent on transfer fees in 2025, and this year, a similar summer spending figure may be necessary if Liverpool are to compete for the Premier League title again. 

Liverpool will be in the mix for the big stars

While Liverpool have had a poor league season, they are still expected to finish in a Champions League qualification spot, which will give Richard Hughes a strong platform to recruit Europe’s most in-demand stars. In a Premier League bet on the conclusion of the season, the Reds are 1/3 favourites to finish in the top five. Slot’s team are most likely to earn a UCL place at Chelsea’s expense, according to Premier League tips.

Several key positions in the starting XI must be addressed, but the recruitment task could become much easier if Slot salvages the season by securing Champions League qualification. 

One-on-one specialist

Liverpool undoubtedly lacks a wide specialist who can use pace and dribbling to bypass opposition players one-on-one. Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo are both wide players who prefer to move inside with and without the ball, and Slot’s system could benefit from a winger who will maintain width at all times. 

Director of Football, Hughes, sanctioned the departure of the dynamic Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich in the summer, and while the Colombian wanted to move on, a like-for-like replacement should have been recruited.

Slot himself has admitted this season that Liverpool has missed Diaz’s impact on the pitch, and that surely means that a technically gifted wide player will be at the top of his personal wish list this summer. 

Liverpool’s interest in Khvicha Kvaratskhelia was made public before he moved to Paris Saint-Germain in January 2025, and that is further evidence that the club’s recruitment team recognise the need for an effective wide dribbler. 

The likes of Rafael Leao or Rodrygo of Real Madrid may be available this summer, and if UCL football could be offered to them, then there is no reason Hughes would not be able to secure the signature of either. 

Long-term Trent replacement

Liverpool replaced Trent Alexander-Arnold with Jeremie Frimpong in the summer, and while he has impressed in the wide offensive areas, he has not been a consistent presence in defence, nor a creative spark in the middle of the pitch.

Slot needs a genuine out-and-out fullback signing to complete a new-look back four led by the familiarity of Virgil van Dijk next season. 

Lutsharel Geertruida was targeted in January, and his case could be revisited in the summer. The Dutchman could be an ideal fit as he was once captain of Slot’s Feyenoord team. Ultimately, the right market should be closely monitored in general, as the position needs to be addressed this summer. 

Liverpool certainly does not lack depth in terms of the numbers present within Slot’s squad, but specific profiles must be aggressively pursued this summer to complement the existing quality of the squad. Hughes has the task of adding the finishing pieces to an exceptionally talented team that has underperformed this season. 

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