Liverpool have endured a season of disappointment just one year removed from their Premier League title win. Jurgen Klopp’s men were nothing short of sensational in back-to-back campaigns, finishing second behind Manchester City in the 2018/19 season with a staggering 97 points before ending their 30-year drought without the top-flight crown last term.
The Reds also won the Champions League in 2019, experiencing a two-year period of dominance that brought memories of the club’s dominance of the 1970s and 1980s. However, the Merseysiders have endured a major setback this term, failing to compete for the title, while crashing out in the last eight of the Champions League.
Injuries have been the decisive factor in their struggles as Virgil van Dijk was ruled out for the season along with Joe Gomez. Jordan Henderson has also spent significant time on the sidelines. The volume of matches played over the last two years has also caught up to some players, notably Sadio Mane and Trent Alexander-Arnold, who have suffered a decline in form this term.
The Red’s reputation has diminished significantly after such a poor season as they are only joint-third favourites to win the league next season at 11/2 in the Premier League betting odds, with Manchester City the clear favourites at 4/6. The return of Van Dijk and the prospect of rest for a number of key players over the summer will inject life back into the team. But, there is also work to be done in the transfer market to ensure that last season was a blip rather than a genuine step back.
Manchester City have retaken their place on the summit of English football and will be out to strengthen their line-up. Erling Haaland has been heavily linked with Pep Guardiola’s men as a replacement for the departing Sergio Aguero. Should the Norwegian complete a move to City, it would tighten their grip on the Premier League and potentially the rest of Europe. Liverpool and rest of the top flight have to keep pace with the Citizens in the transfer market.
Liverpool were slightly passive last summer, seeing potential transfer targets Timo Werner and Kai Havertz both move to Chelsea. Diogo Jota arrived from Wolverhampton Wanderers, but the Reds are in still in need of reinforcements in the final third. Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Mane will all be 29 in the summer. They are entering the final stretch of the prime of their respective careers, putting pressure on Klopp along with the club’s hierarchy to replace the trio.
Salah has maintained his excellence in the final third, but Mane and Firmino have been off the pace this term. It could be that Liverpool have seen the best of Mane and Firmino, especially the latter. Mane has played a lot of games over the last two years and his performances may be due to fatigue rather than a diminishing skill set. Firmino is more of a concern. The Brazilian has shown flashes of his brilliance, although his goal return has not been good enough.
The Reds have been mooted with a move for Kylian Mbappe in the past. It would be a test of the Fenway Sports Group’s ambition to pursue the Frenchman. It would certainly match City’s bid to sign Haaland and address the requirement to replace Mane, while easing the pressure to bring in a big name to oust Firmino. Fiorentina’s Dusan Vlahovic has been linked and would seemingly fit into Firmino’s role, boasting a better strike rate in the final third than the Brazilian.
These would be difficult moves to make both financially and for sentimental reasons given the roles that Firmino and Mane have played in Liverpool’s success. It is, however, a necessity to ensure that Liverpool remain a competitive force in the Premier League and Champions League.