Are Liverpool ready to retain the Premier League title? | OneFootball

When Jürgen Klopp announced his shock departure from Anfield in January 2024, the general consensus was that Liverpool would be in for a period of transition. In came a new head coach in Arne Slot, a new Sporting Director in Richard Hughes, and a new direction for The Reds.

Having assessed the squad, Slot and Hughes decided to keep Klopp’s side intact, bringing in just a single signing as Federico Chiesa joined from Juventus to act as Mohamed Salah’s understudy. Champions League qualification seemed the likely target for Slot in his first season at the helm, but the Dutchman went above and beyond.

Against the odds, and in impressive fashion, Liverpool eased their way to winning the Premier League. The Reds lost just one of their opening 30 league games, led the table for 234 days, and had the title wrapped up with four games to spare. Their elusive 20th top-flight title had finally been won, sparking a new era upon Merseyside.

Slot’s impressive start in English football also saw his side top the newly formatted UEFA Champions League group phase. However, The Reds drew an in-form Paris Saint-Germain team in the last-16 and were subsequently knocked out of the competition on penalties by the eventual winners.

Domestically, Liverpool reached the final of the EFL Carabao Cup for the second consecutive season, but were well beaten by Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United. The FA Cup was Slot’s biggest failure of the season as a heavily rotated side were stunned and defeated by Plymouth Argyle in the third round.

Yet despite the shortcomings in cup competitions, Slot had delivered the biggest prize of them all. On a joyous bank holiday weekend, Liverpool lifted the Premier League title at Anfield in front of their fans for the first time and celebrated the next day with over a million supporters throughout the city.

Tragically, the elation of winning the league was curtailed by the sudden passing of Liverpool forward Diogo Jota. The 28-year-old was killed in a car crash along with his brother, André Silva. The agonising loss of such a beloved player sent shockwaves throughout the football community, who have continued to mourn and pay tribute in his honour.

While they navigate their way through a challenging period, the club has resumed business in order to position themselves in the best possible way to retain the title and improve on last season’s success. The champions have put down a marker by going on a significant spending spree, bringing in a host of young talent from across Europe.

As a new campaign beckons, Liverpool have stamped their authority and expectations are high.

A busy transfer window

Liverpool’s most important signings arguably came at the end of last season. After protracted contract negotiations, the club finally tied down Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to new deals. Salah’s exceptional season, which saw him accumulate a record 47 goal involvements in the league, and Van Dijk’s customary excellence meant their time at the club would inevitably be extended.

Elsewhere though, there remained a notion that Liverpool’s squad could be improved despite the Reds winning the league at a canter. The team was heavily reliant on Salah’s brilliance going forwards and Slot rarely rotated players such as Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in midfield.

Slot insisted that the club would try to add “extra weapons” to take his side to the next level and they have done just that. Having spent close to £300million so far, Liverpool have taken the summer transfer market by storm.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold departing for a new experience with Real Madrid, Jeremie Frimpong was signed from Bayer Leverkusen for £29.5million; the versatile right-footer will provide competition for Conor Bradley at right-back but is also seen as a competent backup for Salah on the right wing. On the opposite flank, Milos Kerkez has been added from Bournemouth in a £40million deal. The Hungarian left-back shined for Andoni Iraola’s side last season and is seen as Andy Robertson’s natural successor.

Liverpool’s star signing this window is undoubtedly the illustrious talent, Florian Wirtz. The 22-year-old joined from Leverkusen for a fee that could rise to £116million – a potential British transfer record. The German playmaker is regarded as one of the best talents in world football and will add another dimension of creativity to Liverpool’s attack.

If one European talent wasn’t enough, Liverpool soon snapped up another in Hugo Ekitike. The 23-year-old striker joined from Eintracht Frankfurt for an initial £69million. Slot sees the Frenchman predominantly as a striker but also as a player that can operate from the left.

Furthermore, the club has welcomed three new goalkeepers (Giorgi Mamardashvili, Freddie Woodman and Ármin Pécsi) and have also beaten Arsenal to the signing of young striker Will Wright from Salford City.

Balancing the books with more to come

Liverpool have strengthened, and then some, with more business still to follow.

In the saga of the summer, Alexander Isak seems destined for a move to Anfield yet the deal is far from being sealed. The Swede is essentially on strike at St James’ Park and is attempting to force a move to the Premier League champions – Liverpool have made their interest apparent but their sole bid so far fell well short of Newcastle’s £150m valuation.

Meanwhile, Liverpool have opened talks with Crystal Palace over a deal for Marc Guéhi. The English defender is out of contract next summer and could join for around £35m including add ons. The club are looking to bolster their options in defence, with Italian centre-back Giovanni Leoni set to join from Parma for an initial £26m.

As the league’s leading spenders, it begs the question how Liverpool can afford their summer spending spree. Well, a lucrative pre-season tour in Asia, a record kit deal with Adidas, and the monetary benefits from last season’s success have all placed Liverpool’s finances in a strong position. Significantly though, they have maintained their model of keeping a relatively healthy net spend through player sales.

Since arriving as the club’s Sporting Director last summer, Richard Hughes has generated over £200m from outgoings. Luis Díaz and Darwin Núñez have both departed for substantial fees, whilst Jarell Quansah, Caoimhín Kelleher and Tyler Morton all left for considerable profit. They even managed to recuperate around £8.4m for Alexander-Arnold despite only having a month left on his contract.

Questions regarding the balance and depth of the squad still remain, but what is certain is that Liverpool have flexed their muscles this summer and are entering the season with an arsenal of young talent.

Is Slot the real deal?

Arne Slot surpassed all expectations last season. He became just the fifth manager to win the Premier League trophy in his first season, joining José Mourinho, Carlo Ancelotti, Manuel Pellegrini and Antonio Conte. At 46 years of age, he also became the third youngest manager to win the league after Mourinho (42-years-old) and Kenny Dalglish (44-years-old).

Following in the footsteps of Jürgen Klopp is no mean feat, but in his own unique way Slot has already won over the Anfield faithful. His calm demeanour combined with his tactical ingenuity has made him a favourite with the players but more importantly the fans. A new chant to the tune of a Dutch anthem was created in his honour, whilst he has also been added to the iconic Kop banner which displays Liverpool’s legendary managers of the past.

The pressure will certainly be on Slot again this season, but for different reasons. Having been backed heavily, the eyes will be on the Dutchman to see if he can deliver the title again and make further strides in Europe. He had the luxury of continuity last season but will have to manage the arrival of new faces this time around. Will the transitional season many expected for Slot last year actually arrive this season, or will his side be even better?

Problems to solve after imperfect pre-season

After winning the league so comfortably, Slot allowed his players – and himself – to begin their holidays before the season had even ended. With no commitments to international tournaments (other than those competing in the UEFA Nations League) or the FIFA Club World Cup in America, the players and staff enjoyed a rare, well-earned break.

Due to the death of their teammate Diogo Jota, the team’s return to the AXA Training Centre was delayed to allow time for bereavement.

Liverpool kicked off pre-season with two fixtures against Championship opposition. They began with an emotional 3-1 win against Preston North End at Deepdale, before following up a week later with a 5-0 thrashing of Stoke City behind-closed-doors.

The club then jetted off for a financially fruitful tour of East Asia. Landing first in Hong Kong, China, Liverpool faced European giants AC Milan at the Kai Tak Stadium. Although they fielded two different sides again, Liverpool’s defensive frailties, especially in transition, raised cause for concern. The Italians won 4-2, with Szoboszlai and Cody Gakpo on the scoresheet for Slot’s side. They rounded off their tour in Japan against Yokohama F. Marinos; a routine 3-1 victory saw goals for Florian Wirtz, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha.

In a double header against Athletic Club, Liverpool displayed their attacking prowess. Their opening side, featuring a mix of the first team and academy, won 4-1 with 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha again shining as he scored the pick of the bunch. The Reds scored a further three goals in the second match but conceded two goals from set-pieces which added further questions to Liverpool’s defensive capabilities.

Liverpool’s final fixture before their Premier League curtain raiser against Bournemouth on Friday night saw them take on Crystal Palace in the FA Community Shield. They got off to the perfect start as Wirtz and Ekitike combined neatly to give them the lead inside four minutes. However, problems arose in defence again as Virgil van Dijk uncharacteristically gave away a penalty allowing Palace to equalise. The match ended 2-2 with the Eagles winning on penalties.

For Liverpool, pre-season has been successful in bedding in new players, but Slot still has some defensive issues to address.

Player to Watch: Florian Wirtz

Florian Wirtz arrives in the Premier League as one of Europe’s most talented footballers. The 22-year-old was subject to plenty of interest from Manchester City, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich, but ultimately it was Liverpool who won the race to sign Germany’s wunderkind.

With a baseline price of £100m (potentially rising to £116m), there will be plenty of expectation for Wirtz to deliver an immediate impact, and the likelihood is that he will. Across the last two Bundesliga campaigns, Wirtz scored 21 goals and provided 23 assists – only Cole Palmer had more goal involvements for a player aged under 23 in Europe’s top-five leagues.

Wirtz has taken the No. 7 but will operate as a traditional No. 10. He has a special ability to find space, create chances and affect matches at the business end of the pitch. Off the ball he is equally as efficient, possessing the drive to constantly press and win the ball back for his team.

With the loss of Alexander-Arnold’s creativity, the signing of Wirtz is crucial. Perhaps most importantly, he will ease the burden on Salah who single-handedly had to win matches on his own last season. Liverpool have landed a genius and will be hoping he hits the ground running.

Key Signing: Jeremie Frimpong

Jeremie Frimpong could prove to be Liverpool’s most valuable signing despite already bringing in Wirtz, Ekitike and potentially Alexander Isak. The Dutchman, who was of interest to Liverpool as a teenager, is a well-rounded, versatile right wing-back.

He is seen as the replacement of Trent Alexander-Arnold but he could potentially play an important role going forwards. With Salah set to miss a period of the season due to the African Cup of Nations, Slot has already eyed up Frimpong to cover in the Egyptian’s absence.

The 24-year-old was an integral part of Xabi Alonso’s title-winning side at Bayer Leverkusen. Frimpong scored 14 goals and generated 10 assists as Leverkusen secured a historic domestic double in the 2023/24 season.

Liverpool on track for success

As champions, Liverpool have strengthened whilst on top. Opta have them as the favourites to win the title, giving them a 28.5% chance of retaining the Premier League for the first time in their history.

But their challengers have also improved. Arsenal have finally secured their coveted striker, Manchester City have added much-required energy, and Chelsea have added proven goalscorers to their side. The title certainly won’t be a walk in the park.

That said, Liverpool appear primed to achieve success this season, both domestically and in Europe. Slot may have to tweak his side tactically to find a better balance, but the Reds are guaranteed to be dangerous.

As they kickstart a new campaign, the sky is the limit for Liverpool this season.