Liverpool is yet to bring in a new signing this summer but the work is ongoing behind the scenes to determine the best moves to make. New sporting director Richard Hughes and head coach Arne Slot have some major calls to make.
As well as strengthening the squad ahead of the new campaign, Liverpool must also work out which players it should be moving on, either permanently or on loan. And with so many talented youngsters coming through, the decisions on who stays put or goes out to get regular game time could be vital.
Among the big calls that need making, some are easier than others. Slot has been keen to run the rule over his roster, but some stars are sidelined with injury at the moment and others are still on holiday. It is safe to say there are a few moving parts.
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Loans
Bobby Clark , who is yet to return from an injury that kept him out of the final weeks of last season, has interest from several clubs in taking him on loan. Red Bull Salzburg is one of those and there is an argument for letting him go somewhere he will play every week.
Clark is among a group of elite young Liverpool talents on the cusp of breaking into the first team on a regular basis who are too good to be playing U21s soccer every week but not yet nailed-on first-teamers. Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon , the teenage wingers, fall into the same category.
Doak spent the second half of last season out injured and missed Euro 2024 with Scotland because of another setback but he is now back in full training and played 45 minutes against Preston North End on Friday . Gordon, meanwhile, remains one to watch after he returned from 19 months on the sidelines to end last season strongly.
Luke Chambers , who featured for Liverpool in the Europa League group stages before heading out on loan to Wigan Athletic, could be another who goes out for more experience. The England youth international is a very highly regarded left-footed defender but his route to more minutes at senior level might be blocked by those in front of him in the pecking order.
Sales
Rhys Williams, Billy Koumetio and Nat Phillips are among the players that Liverpool could sell this summer. None has a long-term future at Anfield , while another center-back, Sepp van den Berg , has already made it clear that he wants a guarantee of minutes . The Reds value him at around $26m (£20m/€24m), however, and no one has shown a willingness to pay that sort of fee yet.
Ideally, Liverpool will be able to convince Caoimhin Kelleher to stay. If he does push for an exit in search of more minutes, the Irish goalkeeper would have a hefty price tag, but finding a quality replacement who is willing to accept Alisson Becker is the undisputed number one would be near-impossible.
Tyler Morton has interest from several clubs around Europe including RB Leipzig , while Fabio Carvalho has returned from a loan spell with Hull City. Turning 22 next month, the latter has a decision to make on whether he has a realistic route to regular minutes at Liverpool or whether a permanent exit might make more sense for his career. Another loan is surely a possibility as well.
Liverpool fans might be desperate for news on incomings and new contracts. In time, those will arrive. But they are far from the only decisions that Richard Hughes and co need to be getting right behind the scenes. With under a month until the new Premier League season begins, there is still a lot to be done before the August 30 transfer deadline.
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