Liverpool has already signed Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo this summer but now needs to crack on with more business as the countdown to September 1 continues.
With just 10 days left in the transfer window before no more deals can be done until January, Liverpool’s squad is in a good place, but there remain improvements that can be made.
Chiefly, Liverpool has not got the level of senior holding midfielder that it would have anticipated at the start of the summer — while Endo could prove to be an astute buy, he is not a game-changer like Moisés Caicedo nor a long-term option, given he is already 30 — or a left-sided center-back, with defensive strength looking a little short.
With such a small period of time until the window closes, though, and having given new sporting director Jörg Schmadtke so much to get done in his first summer on the job, what are the priorities for the Reds from here?
Liverpool.com has taken a look at them and ranked them in terms of importance, taking a look at each element and what they could end up meaning for the Reds.
Central defensive reinforcement
Liverpool has been looking for a left-sided option for its defense but various players linked have moved elsewhere, including Joško Gvardiol, who moved to Manchester City. Levi Colwill and Gonçalo Inácio, meanwhile, have both signed new contracts with their current clubs and are therefore off the table for now.
Still, though, Liverpool needs to find a solution. With Virgil van Dijk unable to play every game, Ibrahima Konaté not having the best fitness record, and Joël Matip and Joe Gomez both better on the right.
That has to be the next priority for Liverpool to get sorted. Although the evolution of that part of the pitch is not yet complete, Endo’s arrival means that there are enough numbers in midfield for now.
Senior holding midfielder
Whether Endo is good enough to provide a solution or not remains to be seen, but The Athletic reports that Liverpool does not intend to sign another player in that position. Instead, the Japanese captain and Stefan Bajčetić will be trusted to have that covered, with others like Mac Allister and Thiago also able to fill in when available.
But while there is a need for more players in the midfield at some point, the question is whether the right player is available right now. Finding someone of the level of Caicedo is not easy, but someone will come along at some stage. When that happens, Liverpool does not want to not have the space or the cash to make it happen.
Ryan Gravenberch transfer
The interest in Gravenberch stretches back for a while at Liverpool and it remains possible that he could leave Bayern Munich this summer. If that is the case, The Athletic says Liverpool will be in for him.
It has to be a lower priority than center back or defensive midfield because Liverpool has a greater need for more naturally defensive-minded players for the time being but equally, if Gravenberch does move this summer, it would be daft to miss out.
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