Liverpool clinched the 20th top-flight title in their history at the weekend, and they will now look to put plans in motion for the summer.
Liverpool were undoubtedly the best team in the country this season, and they have deservedly won the Premier League title. However, there are certain weaknesses in the first-team squad that they will need to plug during the summer transfer window to stay on top of their rivals.
The Merseyside outfit will look to build a legacy under Arne Slot and win major trophies consistently. For that to happen, they will need to bring in quality signings at the end of the season. Here at The Hard Tackle, we will look at five positions they should look to improve during the summer transfer window.
Backup central defender
Liverpool have quality central defenders like Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, and Joe Gomez at their disposal. However, Konate and Gomez have been injury-prone, and the Merseyside outfit could use more depth in that area of the pitch.
Signing another reliable central defender could be ideal. Jarell Quansah has been a useful squad player for Liverpool, but he is too young to make a definitive impact at the highest level. So, landing another quality central defender could prove to be a wise decision.
Ideal target: Dean Huijsen
The Bournemouth defender has been heavily linked with a move to Liverpool in recent months, and he has established himself as one of the best young defenders in the Premier League. There is no doubt that the Spanish international would be a quality acquisition, and he could prove to be the ideal long-term replacement for club captain Virgil van Dijk as well.
He is a player in demand this summer amid his links with Chelsea and Real Madrid, and Liverpool might have to pay a premium to get the deal done.
Right-back
Trent Alexander-Arnold will be a free agent at the end of the season, and the England international has not signed an extension with Liverpool yet. He is expected to join Real Madrid in a Bosman move, and Liverpool will need to replace him adequately.
Apart from his defensive qualities, Alexander-Arnold is exceptional going forward, and Liverpool need a quality full-back who can contribute at both ends of the pitch. Conor Bradley has shown that he can be a very useful player for the club, but Liverpool need an elite talent like Alexander-Arnold if they want to compete with European and Premier League bigwigs regularly.
Ideal target: Jeremie Frimpong
The Netherlands international defender has done quite well in the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen, and he helped them win the Bundesliga title last season. The Dutchman has established himself as one of the most exciting full-backs in the game, and he could prove to be the ideal acquisition.
Frimpong is very effective going forward, and he will help Liverpool at both ends of the pitch. Liverpool have a strong Dutch contingent at the club, and they might be able to convince him to join the club.
Defensive midfielder
Liverpool are lacking a specialist defensive midfielder, and they should prioritise the signing of one this summer. The Reds have looked vulnerable defensively at times this season, and a quality defensive midfielder could make a huge difference. He could help shield the back four and allow the creative players to operate with more freedom.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch have helped the side defensively this season, but a specialist defensive midfielder could allow them to operate in their natural roles. It would not only help Liverpool tighten up at the back, but it would maximise the output from the other midfielders as well.
Ideal target: Carlos Baleba
The Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder has been excellent in the Premier League this season, and he could prove to be the ideal long-term acquisition for Liverpool. The Cameroonian midfielder could be attracted if a big club like Liverpool comes calling, and he has all the attributes to play for the Premier League champions.
Baleba will help break down opposition attacking moves and protect the central defenders. His reading of the game, distribution, technical ability and tackling will add a new dimension to the Liverpool midfield. However, recent reports have also linked Chelsea and Manchester City with the Brighton & Hove Albion mainstay.
Striker
It is no surprise that Liverpool need a reliable centre-forward in the summer. Darwin Nunez has seven goals in all competitions this season, and that is simply not good enough. Diogo Jota has done a mediocre job this term as well, and he is quite injury-prone. Liverpool cannot rely on either of them to lead the line next season.
With their rivals strengthening their squads every year, Liverpool must keep up and bring in better quality players as well. They need a reliable finisher who can share the goalscoring burden with Mohamed Salah. It will be interesting to see if they can improve in that area of the pitch.
Ideal target: Hugo Ekitike
The French attacker has done quite well in the Bundesliga, and he could prove to be the ideal acquisition for Liverpool. Ekitike has been a prolific goalscorer for Eintracht Frankfurt, and he has impressed with his ability to create goalscoring opportunities for his teammates as well.
Ekitike is more than just a goalscorer, and he will add pace, flair and and technical attributes to the side as well. The Frenchman is versatile enough to operate as a wide forward as well as a centre-forward. He is young enough to improve further, and Liverpool could groom him into a future star.
Dynamic winger
Liverpool have been overly dependent on Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz for goals and creativity from the wide areas. Federico Chiesa has barely had any opportunities this season, and Liverpool are clearly lacking in depth on the flanks.
The Reds should look to bring in another dynamic attacker, who will allow Slot to rotate the likes of Salah and Diaz more often. They need someone who is an exceptional dribbler and will help them create goalscoring opportunities. Liverpool have missed a specialist dribbler in the final third at times, especially when it comes to breaking down deep defensive units. It remains to be seen whether they can sort that problem in the summer.
Ideal target: Mohammed Kudus
The Ghana international has proven himself in the Premier League with West Ham United, and there is no doubt that he deserves to play for a bigger club. He could be the ideal acquisition for Liverpool. He is capable of operating on the flanks as well as a centre-forward. Apart from his ability to find the back of the net, he is exceptional in one versus one situations. His ability to beat a defender in tight areas could prove to be vital for Liverpool.
Liverpool will know all about the player after the way he terrorised them at Anfield earlier in the season. The Ghanaian attacker will want to take the next step in his career and joining a big club, like Liverpool would be ideal for him as well.
Liverpool must keep pushing to improve
Liverpool have an exceptional core at their disposal, and they need to add more quality in the summer so that they can truly maximise their potential and fight for multiple trophies. Arne Slot will have been disappointed with the way his side crashed out of the Champions League this season. They should have won the EFL Cup as well. More depth and quality could have helped them go all the way.
The Reds have a small squad, and fatigue played a key role in their exit from the UEFA Champions League and the loss in the EFL Cup final. Slot has proven his mettle in the Premier League, and he deserves significant backing from the club hierarchy. It will be interesting to see if Liverpool can back him with adequate transfers so that he can make amends and guide Liverpool to further glories in future.
