Premier League champions Liverpool will look very ...

If the key to Arne Slot’s success in his first Premier League season was evolution from the Jurgen Klopp period, then a revolution at Liverpool appears to be the plan for the title defence.

With canny alterations, sensible in-game adjustments and an unimaginable particular person marketing campaign from Mohamed Salah, Slot exceeded expectations with Liverpool’s Premier League triumph.

Which makes this summer season’s overhaul all of the extra intriguing.

There’s a saying that you must strengthen while you’re in entrance. Do not admire the view from the highest of the mountain, instantly begin planning for how one can climb it once more – and easy methods to do it higher subsequent time.

However few Premier League champions have been reshaped to go once more the best way this Liverpool aspect have. Nearly £300m has been spent within the window to this point.

A possible British switch document spend on Florian Wirtz is the headline deal of the window and he’ll play a number one function in assault. However Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will remodel Liverpool’s method out vast.

There might be knock-on impacts for the centre of defence, Ryan Gravenberch’s function in midfield and Mohamed Salah’s positioning. Hugo Ekitike has the potential to knit all of it collectively.

Whereas there was an acceptance at Anfield the 2024/25 champions wanted a refresh, Slot’s season two will see a giant shift.

Excessive and vast with Kerkez and Frimpong

Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit has pushed the change. Whereas on the left aspect, Kerkez appears just like the inheritor to Robertson, paying homage to the flying Scotsman in his pomp, bombing up and down that flank, overlapping, underlapping, reducing again and crossing, Frimpong is a totally completely different participant to Alexander-Arnold.

Firstly, Frimpong performed in a unique place to Alexander-Arnold whereas he was at Bayer Leverkusen, tasked for granted wing-back to get into the hazard zone. Whereas Alexander-Arnold delivered from deep at Anfield, Frimpong was nearly a proper winger for Xabi Alonso, taking his workforce up the pitch along with his runs off the ball or by means of his dribbling with it.

Alexander-Arnold delivers the ball into the field, Frimpong delivers himself into the field.

Count on Kerkez and Frimpong to be excessive and vast when Liverpool assault.

Huge attackers come inside

With Kerkez and Frimpong darting into these positions, the chance might be there for Wirtz, from the left, and Salah from the fitting, to step inside onto their stronger foot and take goal at objective or select a chance-creating move.

It is a trademark transfer from Salah but additionally one Wirtz brought about substantial harm with whereas at Leverkusen.

Wirtz’s vary of abilities – the highest dribbler within the Bundesliga recorded double figures for objectives and assists but additionally led the best way for top turnovers – makes him an possibility in a variety of positions. However a roaming function from the left was Alonso’s imaginative and prescient for him and could possibly be Slot’s plan, with the futures of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo unsure.

Salah was the Premier League participant of the 12 months and prime scorer final time period however because the 33-year-old ages, this can be a workforce that now appears set as much as improve his objective risk over work fee. There have been already indicators of that shift final season, with Salah revealing Slot had relieved him of many defensive duties. It is a theme which may now proceed.

Ekitike connects it collectively

The tragic passing of Diogo Jota might be in individuals’s minds each time Liverpool’s central attackers are mentioned subsequent season. The Portuguese ahead performed 37 occasions throughout all competitions final 12 months.

Ekitike has joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt and his performances within the Bundesliga counsel he has the attributes to hyperlink up the new-look Liverpool once they go ahead.

He is 6ft 3in however greater than only a goal man. Desperate to run the channels or drop into midfield to assist construct assaults, Ekitike’s motion ought to present alternatives for Wirtz and Salah to run in behind him and revenue from the house he creates.

The hope for Slot might be he can mix that teamwork with a striker’s selfishness at occasions and construct on his career-best 15 league objectives final season. The Bundesliga’s prime shot-taker in 2024/25 will carry loads of risk of his personal.

How the midfield might help the defence out of possession

All these attacking concepts will must be supplemented by sensible midfield motion behind.

Gravenberch dropping again between the centre-backs to make a 3 within the first part of Liverpool’s build-up play was noticed at occasions final season whereas the Dutchman additionally got here throughout to plug gaps within the right-back space at occasions.

He’s prone to be required to do comparable subsequent season, whereas Liverpool might want to lean on Ibrahima Konate’s capability to take care of the fitting channel and Virgil van Dijk’s expertise to marshal all these transferring items.

Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will even have key roles, whether or not they’re used as two No8s forward of Gravenberch or whether or not one among them drops alongside to type a double pivot. The opposite will then be tasked with linking up with and operating past Ekitike as a dynamic No10.

Conor Bradley and Curtis Jones are amongst a squad of gamers who might be itching to carve out their very own roles, too. With Liverpool aiming to compete throughout a number of fronts, they’ll get their alternatives. And additional signings may add additional layers to Slot’s gameplan.

However one factor is evident: this Liverpool will look rather a lot completely different to final 12 months’s.