The Future Of Liverpool 2.0
With this fantastic Liverpool team winning the Premier League this season, I am sure most people will be expecting the praise of players, managers, coaches, and scouts (maybe even one or two mentions of Carol and Caroline). Make no mistake, this will be filled with praise for our players. However, for the minority of fans who already have their eyes looking towards the future, this is what we need to do for more English and European titles in our trophy room.
Jurgen Klopp started the process of creating “Liverpool 2.0.” The departures of Fabinho, Henderson, Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain saw them replaced with Wataru Endo, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai. The evolution of Liverpool 2.0 then took an unexpected turn. Jurgen Klopp’s departure and the arrival of Arne Slot left a lot of questions.
READ MORE: How Does Liverpool Replace Trent? by TJ Andrews
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These two major changes have already benefited Liverpool, as we have won the Champions League in Arne Slot’s first season in charge of the mighty Reds. The contract extensions of Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah for another two years are also a massive sign that Liverpool are ready to retain the Premier League next season and will look for other top titles to add to their growing collection.
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With the leader of our defense and the leader of our attack committed to staying, we can start to look towards the future and get an understanding of what Liverpool 2.0 will soon turn into. I will break this article into two parts:
–Improving Our Defense
-Improving Our Attack
The style and system changed from a chaotic counter-attacking team charging down the wings to a controlled possession-based team playing through the middle. The defense and the attack worked hard together in both Klopp’s and Slot’s style and system, but they do it in different ways, and this is where some players will be moved on and other players brought in to suit the change in how we play now.
So, where do we go from here? I think there are two positions Arne Slot will have wanted to add players to and improve the team to suit his game plan more, and one position he is potentially being forced to change. Which could actually benefit the team in another way, if it works out.
Improving Our Defense
I believe the next phase of Liverpool 2.0, whether it was planned by our coaches and scouts or forced by players’ departures, will be to improve our defense. However, let’s first of all look at what has worked for Liverpool so far this season. We have conceded 32 goals in 34 games, which is second-best in the Premier League. Arsenal tops that category, conceding 29 goals in 34 games.
Alisson Becker, Virgil van Dijk, and Ibrahima Konate are the bedrock for clean sheets. If it were up to me, I would be offering them all five-year contract extensions. I would want them in five years’ time to remain in and around the club as leaders for the younger players competing to start and coming through the academy. I genuinely cannot stress how impressed I have been with these three this season.
We have asked Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas to sit back more to support our defense more than the attack this season. This is something neither player was brought in to do under Jurgen Klopp. They have been able to do this with relative ease though. It speaks for how skilled they both are as players. I know people expect a left-back to arrive, and I will go into that in a bit. But Arne Slot could decide to stick with these two. Slot appears to be impressed with both of them.
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Trent Alexander-Arnold has continued to invert and act more as an Alonso-type of midfielder when we are in control. He’s always looking to find space to exploit. This is close to what he was doing under Jurgen Klopp towards the end. However, this is very different from the way he played when we won the Champions League and Premier League in 2019 and 2020, respectively. I would love for Trent to stay, but it looks like he has more than one foot out of the door. His departure is going to be massive for how our defense and attack change next season.
Finally, Ryan Gravenberch has come into the team and has arguably been the best defensive midfielder in the Premier League. His ability to break down teams’ play by tracking midfielders, taking the ball off them, getting it under control for us, and then making the right calls to start to build our attack has been sensational. A cause for concern could be our lack of a player to do what Gravenberch does for us. If he ever gets injured or suspended, where do we turn?
Who Leaves And Who Arrives?
Let’s start with improving on our right back, which would be a non-issue if Trent decides to extend his contract. Conor Bradley is a quality player, but he does not do the same things as Trent. What Liverpool will probably be looking to do is find a player as similar to Conor Bradley as possible. That will provide the consistency in that position when we are required to rotate throughout a season. Spurs’ Pedro Porro is probably the most likely to be available. He’s an improved version of Conor Bradley, yet the price will likely put us off. I said this in a previous article that I think Vanderson from Monaco is a more realistic option. The Brazilian can compete with Bradley now, and both of them could become better than the aforementioned Porro over the next couple of seasons.
Next, we move on to left back with Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas. I stated earlier that I do see a world where fans are disappointed because we stick with these two. However, there are so many rumors of a younger player coming in, and even the potential of a much more defensive player in that position. It needs to be discussed now. The question is, what does Arne Slot want? I think Kostas goes and Robbo stays if Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez or Rayan Ait-Nouri are preferred. In that scenario, Andy would be likely to start the season for us and help train one of these guys to take over from him. However, I can also see a situation where Robertson and Tsimikas are sold. Two players, like Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie and/or Ajax’s Jorrel Hato, take over the left-back role to sit back and tuck in next to Virgil.
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The goalkeeper position will see turnover. That sentiment is based on Caoimhin Kelleher leaving for first-team football. On-loan summer signing Giorgi Mamardashvili will have eyes on competing with Alisson to start. Sadly, Kelleher was only ever going to be seen as cover for our #1.
I think we could buy a top-quality center back to create competition and a potential heir for Virgil van Dijk. This will leave Joe Gomez and Jarell Quansah to compete with each other to cover for Ibrahima Konate. Bournemouth teenager Dean Huijsen is rumored, and his release clause is tempting. But other clubs are interested too, I could also see Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck becoming an alternative option we go all in for instead.
Finally, similarly to Robbo and Kostas at left back, I think Arne Slot could decide to stick with Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo as our defensive midfielders. However, Crystal Palace’s Adam Wharton is looking like he could be the perfect player for what Arne Slot wants as a pure 6. It’s going to cost a lot, but he could be worth it if he keeps on getting better and better with the right coach and players around him.
Players Out, Players In
Definitely –
*Caoimhin Kelleher £20m vs Giorgi Mamardashvili (Valencia) End Of Loan
*Trent Alexander-Arnold FREE vs Vanderson (Monaco) £40m
*Kostas Tsimikas £20m vs Milos Kerkez (Bournemouth) £40m
Possibly –
*Dean Huijsen (Bournemouth) £50m or Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) £50m
*Andy Robertson £20m vs Jorrel Hato (Ajax) £40m
*Wataru Endo £20m vs Adam Wharton (Crystal Palace) £70m
Improving The Attack
The decisions we make this summer to improve our attack will be based on how many players we can convince to stay. We have scored 80 goals in 34 games, which is the best in the Premier League. Man City are in second by scoring 66 goals in equal time. We’re not short of goals.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai hit the ground running under Arne Slot. The Argentine has seven goals and five assists (as of writing). Dom has seven goals and eight assists thus far. Those numbers will likely need to improve with Trent leaving. Conversely, they will be expected to defend a little less than they are now, with more defensive full-backs next season. What has impressed me about both is their energy to win the ball back and keep control of the game. Then we find the moments to strike, they unleash.
Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz deserve serious praise for their output this season. Often both competing to start as left wingers for us, but at least halfway through this season, they were relied upon to play together as left winger and center forward. Thankfully, both delivered throughout the season for us. My only concern with this position is if Barcelona comes in with a tempting offer for Luis Diaz. His dad has sown the seed of doubt that Diaz will jump at the opportunity to go to Spain.
Salah has been sensational this season and should feel deservedly robbed if he does not win the Ballon d’Or. Our Egyptian King’s production is at world-class levels. Mo currently leads the goalscoring and assist leaderboard in the Premier League. He’s managed to put this entire team on his back at times to win games for us.
Who Leaves And Who Arrives?
I think we all know the biggest issue Liverpool had this season. From an attacking point of view, it is the center forward. Between Diogo Jota’s lack of consistent fitness and Darwin Nunez’s lack of consistent form, it’s an area that needs addressing this summer. Darwin Nunez looks like the player who will be moved on, but I wouldn’t rule out Diogo Jota going too.
If both players leave, I think Jonathan David would be a great addition on a free transfer. He’d provide strong competition with the first-choice striker we would want. There are rumors of Newcastle’s Alexander Isak and Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. Either of them would be world-class additions to this team, but I think they are just too unrealistic. I don’t believe Newcastle United or Atletico Madrid will let those players go. In my opinion, the more realistic targets are Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko. One of these two Bundesliga products could add a new edge to Liverpool and make us even more deadly.
The potential problem Liverpool has with their attack is that our squad depth is all rumored to want more game time elsewhere. Harvey Elliott, Federico Chiesa, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz all could move on. But I hope most of that is just rumors or could be talked off the edge this summer. This would allow for the focus to be on improving the defense. However, I can see Villa’s Morgan Rogers replacing Harvey Elliott. Lyon’s Rayan Cherki could potentially take Federico Chiesa’s spot. Dortmund’s Jamie Gittens replacing Luis Diaz is my final possible dart throw. I hope it doesn’t come to any of that, but those are some names out there for you to discuss.
Players Out, Players In
Definitely –
*Darwin Nunez £50m v Hugo Ekitike (Eintracht Frankfurt) £85m
Possibly –
*Harvey Elliott £40m v Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa) £70m
*Federico Chiesa £10m v Rayan Cherki (Lyon) £25m
*Luis Diaz £60m v Jamie Gittens (Borussia Dortmund) £40m
*Diogo Jota £40m v Jonathan David (Lille) FREE
What Do You Think?
What does the future of Liverpool 2.0 look like for you? Do you think improving our defense will be the focal point of our summer transfer window? Do you think our squad depth will look to leave for first-team football at other clubs? Could this cause us to look for more than just two or three first-team replacements? Let us know in the comments below.