Liverpool face another significant transfer window this summer and have a head start after agreeing a deal for Jeremy Jacquet earlier in the year. The central defender will join the Reds from Rennes to bolster a backline that has conceded over 50 goals in the Premier League this season.
Despite spending a record £446 million last summer and taking the total over half a billion with Jacquet's £60 million move, there are still several areas of concern with their current squad. Andy Robertson and Mohamed Salah are the immediate worries ahead of their impending departures.
Both of those players need replacing, as would Alisson if the Brazil international were to leave. Ibrahima Konate has also yet to sign a new contract.
Defensive Reinforcements
Jacquet could replace his fellow Frenchman; however, there is still a feeling that Liverpool's No. 5 will agree to an extension rather than exiting as a free agent. Keeping hold of Konate would reduce the need for another central defensive signing, as Virgil van Dijk is expected to stay and Giovanni Leoni is due back from injury sometime this summer.
At full-back, Conor Bradley is not expected to return until next year, with the injury-plagued pair of Jeremie Frimpong and Joe Gomez being other options on the right. An alternative would not go amiss to avoid having to move Curtis Jones or Dominik Szoboszlai out of midfield.
Robertson, though, needs to be replaced on the left. His successor could well be the returning Kostas Tsimikas rather than another addition after signing Milos Kerkez during last summer's splurge.
Midfield and Attack
There is midfield depth, barring any outgoings, so long as Jones and Szoboszlai are not playing as makeshift right-backs. The quality of some central players is under question after this season, particularly Alexis Mac Allister, but there are other, more pressing areas to address.
Wide forward is the main one with Salah on the way out. Rio Ngumoha has impressed but it is unreasonable in the extreme to expect a teenager to replace one of Liverpool's greatest ever players. It is an unenviable task for anyone coming in, too, so it would be wise to share the burden over several signings.
Potential Targets
The Reds have raided RB Leipzig before and doing so once again this summer would be wise. Antonio Nusa and Yan Diomande are the pick of their current crop of players. Both of them could well be attainable for a combined £150 million, with the majority of that amount going on the Ivory Coast international.
Much like with Ngumoha, though, tasking players aged 21 and 19 with filling a Salah-shaped hole on their own is far from ideal. Bradley Barcola would be a huge help as a higher-profile player who has already won the Champions League once and could do so again by the end of May.
The Paris Saint-Germain player can also play centrally, much like Nusa, which would be beneficial next season to ease the load on Alexander Isak while Hugo Ekitike is out at least until autumn. Barcola adds another £70 million to Liverpool's spending, taking their total to around £300 million including Jacquet, but should solve the bulk of their issues going forward.
