Arne Slot has identified 'critical component' of Liverpool team with transfer decision needed

Arne Slot is well underway with his tenure as Liverpool boss but is yet to welcome any fresh faces to his new side. While he was initially happy to work with the players already at his disposal , the 45-year-old has since identified the area he needs to strengthen the most.

Jurgen Klopp ensured a major midfield overhaul was conducted during his final summer at the club, bringing in Dominik Szoboszlai , Alexis Mac Allister , Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo prior to his exit at the end of last season. The likes of Curtis Jones , Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic are also steady options in that area.

Yet despite last years spending spree, new boss Slot wants at least one new arrival for the No. 6 role - the most critical component of his side. But with not a single player walking through the doors at Anfield after 41 days of the summer transfer window being open, a number of questions have been raised.

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The first of those is whether a lack of transfer activity means Slot believes such a player is already at the club, with the aforementioned signings from last summer all steady options in midfield. Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, in particular, enjoyed fantastic debut campaigns on Merseyside.

Endo and Gravenberch weren't quite as impressive, yet they offer plenty of room for improvement, while Jones, Elliott and Bajcetic have frequently shown the quality they possess when called upon.

The second question raised from Liverpool's lack of transfer business is whether the club's scouts are continuing the work of last summer when the Reds eventually made an extraordinary offer for Moises Caicedo, prior to settling for Endo.

If the Reds are holding out for a priority target once again, it could explain the lack of activity being reported from Anfield, with the club taking its time to ensure it get things 100 per cent right.

Liverpool has so far been linked with the likes of Joshua Kimmich , Matt O'Riley and Ederson but nothing has come about. In fact, it doesn't even seem like the Reds are close to signing any of those players, or anyone in general for that matter.

There are still 36 days left of the summer transfer window, so time isn't exactly running out just yet, but the clock is ticking nonetheless. The longer Liverpool leave it to sign a player, the greater the risk of missing out on their top targets.

On top of that, there is just 23 days until Liverpool kicks-off the new campaign away to Ipswich Town on August 17, putting further time constraints on a new player to integrate themselves into Slot's squad and get familiar with the Dutchman's style of play.

Liverpool appears to be biding its time , a transfer strategy favored by former sporting director Michael Edwards , who has returned to the fold after two years away with a new role as Fenway Sports Group's ( FSG ) chief executive of football.

Edwards has always believed in the importance of ignoring outside noise and only signing players when the club feels they are needed, rather than buying for the sake of it. That attitude appears to be holding firm this summer.