It's not quite official yet, but Liverpool looks set to be the last Premier League side to make a transfer this summer. Fulham had been the final hold-out, but is closing in on deals for Emile Smith-Rowe and Ryan Sessegnon — nonetheless, Arne Slot is positively sanguine about the situation at Anfield .
In any summer, a lack of transfer activity by this point would be unusual, especially with Anfield chiefs typically preferring to get things done early. But it's particularly noteworthy that Slot is yet to be serviced with any new signings, a stark contrast to the stereotypical "start of a new era" deals that are often witnessed.
However, it's not a case of Slot pushing for signings and not getting them. Indeed, it's been suggested that the Dutchman's desire to get a proper handle on the squad is one of the reasons that business has been delayed.
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He has now had the time to run the rule over a number of the players with whom he might have been less familiar. But late returns for the likes of Alexis Mac Allister , Darwin Nunez and Trent Alexander-Arnold following international commitments provide a further complication to his squad assessment exercise.
By the time Slot has had a chance to get a good luck at everyone, including the returning internationals, Liverpool will almost have run out of transfer window. It's far too soon to be rushing to the conclusion that the Reds might not sign anybody at all, but that is a possibility with which the new coach is content — although he does expect business to happen.
"It would be a surprise for all of us I think if we don't bring any player in, so that will probably happen in the end," Slot reassured the media . "But for now, we are just waiting for the players to come back and waiting for the right ones to sign."
However, he insisted that the current squad is already strong enough to be competitive: "I think the answer lies in last season, where I think five, six, seven games before the end they were still competing with Arsenal and City. So there you have your answer: they are good enough to compete."
Liverpool, of course, would like to remain in that particular conversation all the way to the end of the Premier League season this time around, ideally while competing for the Champions League too. But with Slot more than happy with what he has seen from the players so far, he is not panicking about a lack of incoming business.
Liverpool.com says: It's rare that a new coach has not made a new signing or two by now, but it's also rare for a new coach to inherit such a strong team. Jurgen Klopp bowed out on his own terms because he was tired, not because of any dip in performance, and Slot has walked into one of the top five to 10 sides in the world.
Of course, the best sides strengthen from a position of strength. But Slot needs to know where the areas of improvement are before doing that. And if the right options do not present themselves this summer, he's probably right that Liverpool already has enough to be competitive, at least until January — although we all hope to see a signing or two sooner than that.
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