It’s been a busy summer at Anfield for the Premier League champions, who will look very different when the new season starts against Bournemouth on Friday August 15. Liverpool, still rocked by the tragedy of Diogo Jota’s death earlier this month, have spent nearly £200million on new signings on the back of winning the club’s 20th title last term. Florian Wirtz was the headline addition at a club-record £100m fee that could rise to £116m with add-ons.
The full-back areas were refreshed by the arrivals of Jeremie Frimpong, for £29.5m, and Milos Kerkez, for £40m. Giorgi Mamardashvili has also linked up with Slot’s squad after a year on loan at Valencia while Freddie Woodman joined for free to increase the homegrown numbers. Yet the Reds’ recruitment team are not done there. They are currently in the process of trying to sign a striker with Hugo Ekitike, the Eintracht Frankfurt No.9, the chosen one.
The Reds are currently in advanced negotiations with Eintracht. The Frenchman, who turned 23 last month, is keen on the move after a 22-goal, 12-assist season last term and will likely cost around £80million. And he might not be the only newcomer to the Liverpool attack this summer.
Darwin Nunez should leave but so too could Luis Diaz. The Colombian, 28, has asked to leave Liverpool to join Bayern Munich with his contract expiring in 2027 and no sign of an extension and a pay rise coming. The Reds value Diaz at at least £85m.
Should Bayern come close to that valuation, then his successor could be Rodrygo. The 24-year-old Real Madrid forward only played 92 of a possible 540 minutes at the recent Club World Cup under new manager Xabi Alonso. The iconic former Liverpool midfielder’s system limits the minutes available to Rodrygo, who will carry a price tag similar to Diaz’s.
Liverpool‘s chief executive of football Michael Edwards is a long-time admirer of the Brazilian and wanted him in 2016 when he was just 16. Rodrygo instead went to Spain and has since produced 68 goals and 51 assists in 270 appearances. And his minutes across those appearances (16,152) only amount to 180 full matches, suggesting he could be lethal under Slot.
A front four of Ekitike, Rodrygo, Mohamed Salah and Florian Wirtz – with Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo and Federico Chiesa as options to rotate in and out – would be a frightening prospect. But also a frightening prospect is the increasing likelihood that Ibrahima Konate leaves on a free in 12 months’ time.
That means the Reds need a new centre-back, having allowed Jarell Quansah to join Bayer Leverkusen. Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi is a fine candidate for the job. Out of contract in a year so available at a cheaper price and having only just turned 25, Guehi is homegrown and can play with both feet. He can comfortably play in Virgil van Dijk’s place or alongside Konate or Joe Gomez.
The England international would provide Liverpool a sixth homegrown player for 2025-26 (alongside Woodman, Frimpong, Gomez, Jones and Conor Bradley). He could cost around £40m despite his contractual situation yet that would still be a fair fee for a defender who is elite in one-on-one duels and with the ball at his feet.
Liverpool’s 25-man Premier League squad for 2025-26
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Mamardashvili, Woodman
Defenders: Frimpong, Bradley, Van Dijk, Guehi, Konate, Gomez, Robertson, Kerkez
Midfielders: Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Jones, Endo, Bajcetic*, McConnell*
Forwards: Salah, Ekitike, Rodrygo, Gakpo, Chiesa, Wirtz, Danns*
New signings: Ekitike (£80m), Rodrygo (£80m), Guehi (£40m)
Players sold: Tsimikas, Elliott, Morton, Diaz, Nunez, Doak, Ramsay, Williams
* – U21 players who don’t need to be registered
