Richard Hughes continues to stay true to his forecast regarding his inaugural transfer window as Liverpool’s sporting director. “A quiet July, followed by a crescendo in August is likely on the horizon for all of us,” the former Bournemouth technical director remarked a little over a month ago. While the anticipated crescendo has yet to begin, there are valid reasons for Liverpool’s silence in the transfer market thus far.
Liverpool stands out as the only Premier League club yet to make a signing this summer, but that situation is expected to change soon now that Arne Slot has conducted a thorough evaluation of the squad during their US tour.
The US tour proved successful, with Liverpool defeating Real Betis 1-0, Arsenal 2-1, and Manchester United 3-0, showcasing the implementation of the new head coach’s style as more crucial than simply the results. However, it highlighted the necessity for a defensive midfielder, a long-standing priority for Liverpool, with measures in progress to reinforce that position. This was the one segment of the midfield reconstruction that stalled last summer, as Jürgen Klopp resorted to bringing in a then 30-year-old Wataru Endo late in the window after missing out on Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia to Chelsea.
Endo started alongside Curtis Jones in the opening match of the US tour but encountered difficulties adapting to Slot’s possession-based strategy. In the remaining two fixtures, Slot opted for Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch alongside Jones, while introducing the impressive young talent Trey Nyoni before Endo during the usual pre-season substitutions. Liverpool turned down an £11.8m offer from Marseille for the Japan international, who was signed for £16m a year ago, reflecting the available options in Slot’s squad but this stance could shift if they acquire another midfielder or receive a more appealing offer.
Liverpool did not foresee a particularly active summer transfer window in terms of incoming players for several reasons. Besides the need for a defensive midfielder, there is a perception that there are no significant gaps to fill in a team still developing and capable of building upon last season’s third-place finish. Interest in signing Anthony Gordon from Newcastle surfaced when he was made available in June, but with Luis Díaz, Cody Gakpo, and Darwin Núñez able to play on the left – though Slot views Núñez as a pure centre-forward – discussions did not advance seriously. A pursuit for Gordon has not been reconsidered.
Liverpool also expressed interest in Leny Yoro due to the teenager’s exceptional talent rather than an immediate need to bolster central defense, only for Manchester United to surpass both Liverpool and Real Madrid with a deal worth €62m plus €8m in bonuses to Lille.
There is also the challenge of a new head coach navigating a summer characterized by the European Championship, Copa América, and Olympics. However, this has not hindered the other four Premier League clubs under new management from making strengthening moves. Slot, however, sought to evaluate the players during the US tour before influencing Liverpool’s upcoming transfer strategies, both incoming and outgoing.
Wataru Endo has yet to impress Arne Slot during pre-season. Photograph: Peter Zay/AFP/Getty Images
The head coach is merely one element of the new football structure implemented by Liverpool’s owner, Fenway Sports Group, following Klopp’s indication of departure. Michael Edwards, back as FSG’s chief executive of football, the previous sporting director Julian Ward, reinstated as FSG’s technical director, Pedro Marques, recruited from Benfica as director of football development, Hughes, and his assistant, David Woodfine, are shaping the post-Klopp phase.
Key items on their agenda include securing the futures of Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, and Trent Alexander-Arnold, three of the club’s most crucial players and significant assets now entering the final year of their contracts. Liverpool finds itself in an unusually precarious situation. Retaining each player will be costly – Salah and Van Dijk are already the highest earners – yet their loss would be profoundly damaging.
Slot appeared quite unfazed during the tour about the absence of new signings, somewhat reminiscent of Klopp’s initial impressions at Liverpool, regarding the British fixation on transfers. “The bar is really high for new signings because we have so many good players,” he stated after the match against United. “Finding a player who meets those standards while also being available is challenging. Then, we need to reach an agreement with them, so it’s not always simple to find a player who can enhance our squad, but Richard is diligently working on it.”
A more pressing concern for the former Feyenoord coach involves the limited training time with his full squad. Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Núñez, Díaz, Gakpo, and Joe Gomez only commenced their pre-seasons on Sunday. With the US players granted a day off after their flight home, Tuesday marked the first occasion Slot could work with the entirety of Liverpool’s squad. Consequently, with just 12 days until the Premier League opener against Ipswich, Liverpool is set to play two friendlies on Sunday in an effort to enhance match fitness. The Anfield match against Sevilla will precede a closed-doors fixture against Las Palmas.
Liverpool has received interest for several fringe players. Southampton and Leicester are keen on Fábio Carvalho, who showed promise during the US tour. Liverpool has declined two bids from Southampton for the 21-year-old, the latest being £15m, with Slot believing Carvalho fits well into his system as a No 10 or playing wide. Revenue from Southampton would need to significantly increase to test Liverpool’s determination.
Salzburg, under the management of former Liverpool assistant coach Pepijn Lijnders, has expressed interest in midfielder Bobby Clark, while defenders Sepp van den Berg and winger Ben Doak have caught the attention of various clubs. Meanwhile, Liverpool fans eagerly await the first signing of the Slot era and that hoped-for crescendo.
