Haven’t Liverpool almost won the 2024–25 Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season in the Anfield dugout? The cherry on top is that Mohamed Salah will be staying on Merseyside’s red half past the summer.
The Reds’ go-to player is the talismanic Salah, so the news that the Egyptian has extended his contract is only excellent for Liverpool supporters. However, there are worries over the futures of Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold, the leadership duo.
Like the 19 other teams in the top flight, the 46-year-old tactician, who is widely regarded as one of the best football managers, and his team will be trying to bolster their roster as they prepare for another summer of business.
Although this season has undoubtedly been memorable, it would be a mistake to assume that they haven’t improved. In light of external noise, GIVEMESPORT has assembled Liverpool’s ideal starting lineup for the 2025–2026 season.
Defence + Goalie
Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Alisson Becker, Jeremie Frimpong, and Milos Kerkez
You can bet your bottom dollar that Alisson Becker, who is considered to be among the best goalkeepers in Premier League history, will continue to be in goal unless something extraordinary occurs between now and the end of the season.
Given the likelihood that Alexander-Arnold will depart for Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen’s Jeremie Frimpong may take Alexander-Arnold’s place at right-back. Frimpong, who is of a different mould than the Englishman, might help Liverpool’s right-hand side with his lightning-fast pace.
As they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” applies to Slot’s two-man centre defence unit. And that’s what Slot will be thinking about as he weighs his options in the backline before the summer trading window opens.
Ibrahim Konate’s injury concerns are concerning, but there are more urgent problems right now. The Frenchman is dependable and formidable when healthy, and his combination with captain van Dijk, who is both formidable and gifted, is just amazing.
It’s difficult to identify a better Premier League acquisition in the past ten years when it comes to the Dutchman (don’t worry, we’ll talk about Salah later). In the upcoming months, the only question is if he would commit to the team for further years of his career, like Salah did.
Liverpool has made two changes at full-back: veteran Andy Robertson is leaving, and Milos Kerkez, a sensation from Bournemouth, is joining. With ties to Arsenal, it’s clear that the 21-year-old Hunagry international would fit well in with Slot’s disciplined style of play.
The midfield
Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, and Ryan Gravenberch
Ryan Gravenberch’s struggles under Jurgen Klopp are not unjustified. However, things have been quite different since Slot arrived in the summer, and with good reason, the Dutchman is now recognised as one of the best midfielders in world football.
Gravenberch, who was born in Amsterdam, has the admirable quality of not minding cleaning up and performing a lot of the grunt labour in Liverpool’s engine room. Because he has partially stabilised the midfield, Alexis Mac Allister has been free to move into his natural position.
Liverpool is so hard to overcome because of the World Cup winner’s combination of passing prowess and ability to be the tempo-dictating figure Slot so desperately wants at the centre of the action. After all, midfield is where games are won.
Furthermore, Florian Wirtz would significantly improve their performances, even though Dominik Szoboszlai is by no means a poor alternative. He is a top-tier technician, and Liverpool, who have been mentioned as potential suitors, should know that he would be expensive.
Attack Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, and Mohamed Salah
It’s official: Liverpool has stated that Salah will stay on the red half of Merseyside until 2027, despite uncertainty surrounding the seasoned winger’s future with the team. Until then, the 32-year-old is expected to hold down Slot’s right-wing berth.
And why not, considering what he did in the last third? Since joining the team, the former Fiorentina player has been a goalscoring revolution. As of this writing, he has scored 243 goals and provided 111 assists in just under 400 games..
Alexander Isak of Newcastle United is the clear-cut striker that Liverpool is sorely lacking. The mysterious 25-year-old Swede will cost more than £100 million, but he promises a) tonnes of goals and b) top flight experience.
Slot, on the left, must solve a puzzle. Potential choices include Cody Gakpo, who might be at the top of the hierarchy, Luis Diaz, and the previously mentioned Jota. The latter is the strongest of the three, as demonstrated by his recent performances.
xz
