Núñez Sale & Trent’s Exit Reshapes Liverpool Transfer Priorities | OneFootball

Liverpool Transfers and Margin For Glory: The Summer of Exact Decisions

Football does not suffer sentiment. It demands answers — sharp, timely, unflinching. And at Liverpool, the questions around this summer’s transfer window are not just urgent — they are defining.

Arne Slot, now almost a full glorious season into his Anfield tenure, has ushered in control, structure, and a return to rhythm. But rhythm alone doesn’t win titles. The squad needs not reinvention, but reinforcement. And in an era when the line between ambition and overreach is as fine as ever, how Liverpool strengthen will matter as much as who they bring in.

This is not a summer for PR-led war chests. This is a summer for exactitude.

Photo: IMAGO

Quality Over Quantity – Summer Signings Must Be Right

There is a tired myth in football that the volume of signings reflects intent. It doesn’t. Quality is not found in quantity. Liverpool’s primary needs are targeted: a true number nine who can convert moments into margins, a right-back with defensive nous, and a left-back capable of marrying athleticism with tactical intelligence. Anything beyond that is bonus territory.

The name Hugo Ekitike has been thrown around recently — tall, quick, technically interesting. But having looked closely, there are warning signs. He underperforms his expected goals. His finishing is inconsistent. And what’s worse, he feels like Darwin Núñez all over again — potential packaged as unpredictability. Liverpool have already bought that profile, and the scars are fresh. Ekitike might click at another club, but Anfield cannot be the proving ground for another striker learning his trade under scrutiny. Not now.

If Liverpool are going to spend big, it must be on certainty, not hope.

Photo: IMAGO

The Díaz Dilemma

Luis Díaz remains one of the most gifted players in the squad — but that doesn’t mean he’s untouchable. There’s a difficult conversation to be had here, not based on form, but on value. He’s approaching the point in his contract — and his age curve — where Liverpool must decide whether to extend or extract.

If the right offer arrives, particularly from a Barcelona or Saudi outfit, it would be derelict not to consider it. Because in truth, Díaz’s game hasn’t evolved significantly. He dazzles, yes — but the final ball still flatters to deceive, and for a side moving toward system over spontaneity, he may not be essential.

Replacing him is another story — one that might involve someone like Nico Williams, a winger with upside, pace, and tactical discipline. But that only works if Liverpool are willing to do what they’ve done in the past: sell well, reinvest smart.

Photo: IMAGO

The Bournemouth Blueprint

Which brings us to the news this week: a potential £95 million double-swoop on Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen.

Kerkez — a full-back who carries, overlaps, and plays with verve — is more than just Szoboszlai’s mate. He’s a profile player for what Slot wants: press-resistant, progressive, capable of both inverting and flying forward. Robertson has given everything to this club, but time catches everyone. Kerkez could be the passing of the torch.

Huijsen, meanwhile, excites in a quieter way. Elegant on the ball, composed under pressure, and already capped by Spain at 20. He fits the archetype of the modern centre-half but doesn’t forsake the art of defending. And if Liverpool are going to move on from Joe Gomez or accept that Ibrahima Konaté may not extend, Huijsen makes sense. He’s raw, yes. But, if Konate’s contract delays continue, and a sale is forced this Summer; then he’ll be better than anything Liverpool currently carry beyond Van Dijk.

That Chelsea and Arsenal want him too only adds weight.

Photo IMAGO

Selling With Intelligence, Not Emotion

Any Liverpool transfer conversation must be twinned with exits. Not out of financial desperation, but strategic clarity.

Caoimhin Kelleher is too good to sit behind Alisson for another year. If Bournemouth want him, and a decent fee arrives, he should go. No fuss. No failure. Just a good player finding his own path.

Harvey Elliott? More delicate. He’s had moments. He’s loved. But stylistically, he doesn’t quite fit what Slot’s midfield demands. If an offer comes that reflects potential and profit, Liverpool should take it seriously.

Ben Doak is one to watch. High ceiling. Championship-proven. But if he’s not going to play — and can fund something bigger — his sale becomes a lever, not a loss.

This is how Liverpool thrivedin Michael Edwards’ first tenure: making the hard calls when they’re still in control of the narrative.

Photo: IMAGO

Beyond Numbers: Strategy and Structure

The thing that often gets lost in transfer fever is that football clubs are not fantasy teams. They are machines. And the best ones, like the best engines, operate on balance, not excess.

Slot’s Liverpool don’t need to tear down the house. But they do need to reinforce its foundations. Bringing in Kerkez and Huijsen doesn’t just strengthen depth — it signals that the club is building with age profile, system fit, and adaptability in mind.

And when the Núñez chapter inevitably closes, the next forward must not be a replica with better PR. He must be the kind of striker who turns possession into points, not headlines into hypotheticals.

The Window, The Way Forward

This summer isn’t about changing Liverpool’s identity. It’s about protecting it — and accepting the reality that big players will leave, and bold replacements must arrive.

It’s close to certain that Darwin Núñez will move on. His flashes of promise have not outweighed the inconsistency, and Liverpool cannot afford another season of missed margins in front of goal. The club needs a striker who finishes, not just one who sprints.

Photo: IMAGO

And while all eyes are on incomings, the expected departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid demands immediate, strategic action. You don’t just replace Trent — you redesign how your entire right-hand side functions. Whoever comes in at right-back must not only be defensively sound but capable of stepping into a new tactical role. It’s the most seismic change of the Slot era so far.

Suddenly, the need for two or three signings has shifted. This now looks like a four or fiveplayer window, with additions needed at right-back, left-back, centre-half, centre-forward — and hopefully even in midfield, depending on further outgoings.

But the principle remains the same: each signing must fit. Each one must make Liverpool better, not just busier.

Kerkez and Huijsen? They would be smart additions. Díaz and Núñez? Their time might be up. Trent? Irreplaceable in style, but not in position. And for that reason, Liverpool must think bigger, sooner, smarter.

Slot doesn’t need 11 new players. But he does need five proper ones. Five that turn a good team into a great one.

The window isn’t open yet. But Liverpool’s work? It’s already begun.