Arne Slot's first transfer window as Liverpool head coach is now over and it was relatively uneventful, with only one new player being added to his squad for this season.
While most top Premier League clubs were out splashing the cash, Liverpool has actually profited from the summer window and Slot will use the squad handed over to him by Jurgen Klopp , with one exception, until January. The only addition was Juventus winger Federico Chiesa, 26, who joined for an initial fee of $13 million .
Liverpool also signed Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili for $33 million , a 23-year-old who starred for Georgia at Euro 2024 and is tipped to be the successor to Alisson. As part of the deal, Mamardashvili was loaned back to Valencia for the 2024/25 season.
Slot has won his first two games in charge of Liverpool and we already knew that Klopp's squad wasn't in urgent need of repair, and the club has even managed to raise significant funds from players who were deemed surplus to requirements. But although on the surface things seem calm, there are deeper issues that need to be addressed to avoid a crisis further down the line.
Assessing the ins and outs is a straightforward and positive exercise. Mamardashvili was sensational at Euro 2024 and has been making a name for himself in La Liga, and aged just 23 could be the long-term replacement for Alisson.
Chiesa hasn't been the same player since joining Juventus in 2020, after initially impressing for Fiorentina. He suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury during the 2021/22 season and was ruled out for 10 months, and has since suffered a further seven injuries after dealing with increased muscle fatigue.
Liverpool wouldn't have signed him if he wasn't fit enough after an intense medical, and if Chiesa can return to his former self at the club then the Reds could see a major return on a low-risk investment. In fact, the signing feels free for Liverpool, as it was completely funded by the sell-on clause payment they received from Bournemouth after former player Dominic Solanke joined Tottenham in a deal worth $85 million.
There's little to discuss when it comes to assessing the departures too. Sure, Liverpool fans wanted Sepp van den Berg and Fabio Carvalho to succeed, but neither player had become a first-team regular and Brentford offered a combined $69 million for the pair which couldn't be turned down.
Bobby Clark was even further away from the first team but still raised $13 million as he joined Red Bull Salzburg. Joel Matip and Thiago are also players who will be missed, but more for loyalty reasons as both had reached the end of their Premier League cycle.
It may not have been as exciting for Liverpool fans this summer compared to supporters of other teams, but we all know the major deals that need to be completed are within the club. Until the future of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah, and Virgil van Dijk are resolved, you can't successfully move ahead with planning a team. My thoughts on the three glaring problems the club needs to address. Now.
Leaving themselves exposed with contracts
It all got quite ugly a few years ago when it was up in the air whether Salah would sign a new contract or leave, with Real Madrid circling at the time. Well, it's happened again, although the contract timer now concerns Liverpool's three most important players and not just the Egyptian.
Currently, Salah, Trent, and Van Dijk could all walk away for free at the end of the 2024/25 season. Their contract renewals have unfortunately clashed with Klopp's departure, and they may need to be swayed by Slot to re-sign.
Chiesa has been signed as a squad player and currently; Salah, Trent, and Van Dijk are the standout players in each position with little threat being applied from within the ranks. There must be a sense of confidence from within the club if they've allowed all three players to reach this stage of their contracts, but if it's mismanaged it could derail the Slot era before it has even started.
Liverpool must re-sign all three players, although Trent needs to be offered a bumper long-term deal. Short-term deals for Van Dijk and Salah make the most financial sense, but if Liverpool doesn't pay Trent, they'll regret it.
Revealing targets too early
Michael Edwards may have returned to Liverpool this summer, but the club is still operating like it was after he left in 2022. Under Edwards and throughout the Klopp era Liverpool became known for keeping their business extremely private and built up a reputation for being ruthless.
A signing would be completed hours after it was first reported, but that's been lost in recent years and highlighted by the failed pursuit of Martín Zubimendi this summer. To give credit where it's due, Liverpool remained sensible and stubborn, refusing to pay the increased asking price requested by Real Sociedad.
But the public negotiation is completely against the way Liverpool has been run over the past decade, and as seen with Manchester United's business efforts, it allows teams to hold off for more money, and add unnecessary pressure to all parties involved.
Whether it's a leak in the chain or just the way modern football is with social media, Liverpool has to try and conduct its business behind closed doors once again. Thankfully, Ryan Gravenberch appears to be taking the failed transfer as encouragement so far this season.
Showing signs of desperation
Liverpool has always been a disciplined club, and if their targets aren't available or don't align with their strict financial structure, talks are ceased. Again, this window seemed alien in that regard with random names being linked late in the window such as Alan Varela.
The Reds also conducted deals early under Klopp for the most part, and with a late link to Varela this summer it just screamed desperation, even if he does look like a talent. A late move always seems like a huge gamble, and recently Liverpool hasn't been a team to take risks.
This peaked last summer when it was clear Liverpool had money to spend and attempted to quietly sign Jude Bellingham. That didn't work out, and they incredibly bid $144 million for Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo before being outbid by Chelsea moments later.
Thankfully Liverpool's budget replacement, Endo, had a fantastic season while Caicedo struggled. There is naturally going to be a huge transition after replacing Klopp for Slot, but the club needs to make sure his job isn't harder than it already poses to be.
Liverpool's permanent summer transfers
Arrivals: Giorgi Mamardashvili (out on loan until 2025/26), Federico Chiesa.
Outgoings: Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho, Bobby Clark, Adrian, Joel Matip, Thiago.
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