Liverpool have completed an £150m midfield overhaul this summer but that can't be the end of Jurgen Klopp's transfer surgery
This summer Liverpool have had to do in three months what it previously took them three years to - overhaul a successful position in Jurgen Klopp’s once all-conquering side.
In truth, the Reds have benefitted from this gradual succession plan and 'soft launch' of their next attack. Both Diaz and Gakpo were afforded half a season alongside Mane and Firmino respectively, avoiding the 'direct replacement' label and accompanying pressure in the process, before emerging as exactly that.
Of course, even if Liverpool retain Salah’s services now, Saudi Arabia will come calling again. The most high-profile Muslim footballer in the world, an eventual switch to the Gulf state feels inevitable. Next summer would offer the Reds a last chance to bank a considerable fee - while the forward could move on as a free agent in 2025.
In hindsight, that was a mistake with Liverpool’s struggles last year speaking for themselves as they failed to qualify for the Champions League. Consequently, acknowledging they needed more than just one marquee new midfielder, they withdrew from the race to sign Bellingham back in April. With Ryan Gravenberch arriving from Bayern Munich on transfer deadline day, joining Mac Allister, Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo as part of an £150m midfield overhaul, what comes next is entirely new.
“For Endo it is a massive step, massive change in the way he used to play and the way we play, so that obviously needs a bit of time to get there, but it is no problem… “But the work-rate these guys put in, the stability they gave us, that was second-to-none and that is what we have to create as well…I think it is clear the players we brought in have real quality, are young and in a super-way really excited about the opportunity of being here, so that's a cool mix.”
Such a scenario is their reality but far from ideal, considering they have been forced to build a midfield with no previous experience of playing together. Given the importance of in-sync on-pitch relationships to play for Klopp, and how long it can take to get up to speed with his demands, starting from square one is problematic. The club have ultimately taken one step backwards in a bid to later move two steps forward.
“Over the last few years we had to do the same with our front line,” Klopp said of his squad’s overhaul. “The most stable area is obviously the last line but now not because of the injury and suspension.”
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