In Arne Slot’s first season as manager of Anfield, Liverpool defeated the odds to win the 2024–25 Premier League. The cherry on top is that Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah will be staying on Merseyside’s red half past the summer.
Supporters were thrilled to learn that the legendary duo had signed fresh contracts at Anfield, and there is increasing hope that Slot will be able to lead the team into a new era in the years to come. With significant transfers being made before the summer transfer market even opens, it doesn’t appear that the regrettable loss of Trent Alexander-Arnold on a free transfer has lowered expectations either.
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 it’s definitely been a memorable first season, it would be a mistake to say 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.
Conor Bradley and Jeremie Frimpong of Bayer Leverkusen will compete for the right-back spot as Alexander-Arnold is leaving. Both players, though of a different mould than the Englishman, have lightning-fast speeds that could help Liverpool’s right-wing.
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.
Ibrahima Konate’s injury concerns are concerning, but there are more urgent challenges 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.
Regarding the Dutchman, it’s difficult to identify a better Premier League acquisition in the previous ten years (don’t worry, we’ll talk about Salah later). The 33-year-old, who became the first Dutch player to captain a Premier League-winning team, is not showing any signs of slowing down.
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 Hungarian 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. Liverpool is reportedly ahead of Bayern Munich in the race for the sensational Bayer Leverkusen playmaker in a blockbuster deal. He is a technician of the highest calibre.
Attack Cody Gakpo, Alexander Isak, and Mohamed Salah
After pledging his future to the team, Salah is anticipated to hold down Slot’s right-wing position for the next two years at the very least. Before leaving Anfield, the Egyptian King is adamant about adding more trophies to his trophy case.
And why not, considering what he did in the last third? Since joining, the former Fiorentina player has been a goalscoring revolution, and as of this writing, he has scored 244 goals and provided 113 assists in 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, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz, who might be the top player. The latter is the strongest of the three, as seen by his recent performances.
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