Liverpool currently have 31 senior players over the age of 21, and will need to create extra space in their 25-man squad if they wish to use two players in the Champions League. The Reds have filled all 17 of their non-home grown spots permitted in a maximum 25-man squad following the arrival of Ronald Araujo on loan from Barcelona.
Transfer activity so far
It has been a relatively quiet transfer window for Liverpool. The Reds signed Victor Munoz in a £34.5m deal from Osasuna after activating his release clause back in June, while Araujo joined earlier this week on a season-long loan. Jeremy Jacquet officially arrived from Rennes after an initial £55m transfer was agreed back in January, while Ifeanyi Ndukwe completed his £2.6m switch from Austria Vienna.
In terms of outgoings, Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Rhys Williams all departed on free transfers at the end of their contracts, while Liverpool have sold academy talents Luca Stephenson, Carter Pinnington and Tommy Pilling to Bolton Wanderers, West Bromwich Albion and Zemplin Michalovce respectively. Armin Pecsi joined TSC Hartberg on loan last month, while Amara Nallo and Kyle Kelly completed their own temporary moves away to HJK and Forest Green Rovers.
Squad numbers and registration issues
Liverpool are still looking to strengthen their squad, and their attack in particular, with Bradley Barcola a primary target. Talks are ongoing with Paris Saint-Germain, while the Reds are also believed to be interested in bringing in another forward on top of the Frenchman. While Araujo's arrival has quietened down talk of further adding to Liverpool's defence, the Reds continue to be linked with the likes of Adam Wharton amid a possible need for a new midfielder.
Beyond Barcola (or a different new forward), further recruitment could be tied to departures. The likes of Curtis Jones, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister, Federico Chiesa, Wataru Endo and Harvey Elliott have all been the subject of ongoing transfer speculation. But that is not because Liverpool need to balance the books financially. Rather, their squad, while admittedly still in need of strengthening, is actually already over-populated.
After a number of the club's youngsters became of age this summer, ensuring they have 14 players who qualify as home grown, Liverpool currently boast 31 senior players who need to be registered to play for them this forthcoming season. Such a total would actually rise to at least 33 players when it comes to naming a Champions League squad.
Champions League and Premier League squad constraints
While we can perhaps overlook signings at academy level like Mor Talla Ndiaye and Will Wright, both Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni would need to be registered in the Reds' European squad if Andoni Iraola wished to call upon them. That is because while the pair count as Under-21s players in the Premier League, neither of them have been at Liverpool long enough to qualify for a place on List B (reserved for underage players).
A player may be registered on List B if he is born on or after 1 January 2005 and has, since his 15th birthday, been eligible to play for the club concerned for any uninterrupted period of two years, or a total of three consecutive years with a maximum of one loan period to a club from the same association for a period not longer than one year. Players aged 16 may be registered on List B if they have been registered with the participating club for the previous two years without interruption.
The same would apply for Ibrahim Mbaye if the Reds were to move for the Paris Saint-Germain forward. The 18-year-old would count as an Under-21s player and not need to be registered for Premier League action, but would need to for the Champions League. Rio Ngumoha at least now qualifies for a place on List B, having failed to do so last season with his inclusion in Arne Slot's Champions League squad initially coming at the expense of Chiesa before Leoni suffered a season-ending ACL injury.
So, as things stand, the Reds would need to leave out eight senior players when it comes to naming their Champions League, and six for Premier League duty. And neither total includes Ifeanyi Ndukwe who will have to leave on loan after failing to qualify for a work permit. Throw in one new signing and such totals rise to at least nine and seven.
Potential departures and solutions
Admittedly, this will change before the end of the month with Liverpool still looking to strengthen their squad and a number of players expected to depart. From the Reds' current ranks, it is perhaps simple to whittle numbers down. Calvin Ramsay currently occupies a non-home grown berth for a start, and would likely make way for Jacquet or Leoni. With Hugo Ekitike a long-term absentee, expected to be ruled out until the New Year with an Achilles injury, he too could make way to include one of the two young defenders.
But if the club wish to sign Barcola, or any other player who does not count as home grown, further space would need to be made - either by moving on one of their current overseas stars or leaving them out altogether. Meanwhile, when it comes to home grown players, Liverpool could also choose to leave out Conor Bradley, depending on how long the Northern Ireland international is expected to be sidelined with the knee injury he suffered against Arsenal back in January.
However, the Reds would need to be wary of such a short term fix if they wanted to keep their options for January transfers open. Clubs are only permitted to make three changes to their Champions League squad mid-season ahead of the knock-out stages. Calling up Ekitike and/or Bradley if they have initially been left out would fill these slots and limit how many potential new winter signings could be registered.
Even if Bradley is selected this summer, Liverpool still have a number of home grown options they could feasibly leave out. Jones, Elliott, Joe Gomez, Freddie Woodman and Jeremie Frimpong would currently take up six home grown spots alongside the Northern Ireland international. Iraola could then choose between Stefan Bajcetic, Luke Chambers, Kaide Gordon, Isaac Mabaya, James McConnell, Vitezslav Jaros, Owen Beck and Harvey Davies to fill the two remaining slots.
However, the aforementioned octet boast a combined total of just 19 Premier League appearances with Bajcetic responsible for 12 of them. They are not yet out and out first team players. Besides, between them, they are returning from long-term injury, sidelined with long-term injury, expected to depart on loan or, in Davies' case, no more than additional goalkeeping cover. Further home grown berths could open up if Jones and/or Elliott were to depart before the transfer window closed.
Evidently, there is still plenty that needs to be resolved at Anfield in the final weeks of the transfer window. While Liverpool might only now possess 17 non-home grown players over the age of 21 following the arrival of Araujo, they still need to create two vacancies if they wish to call upon Jacquet and Leoni in Europe. With 31 senior players over the age of 21, at least six are currently poised to be left out of the Reds' Premier League squad.
And if Liverpool wish to sign more players, further stars will need to make way - though only home grown for home grown and overseas for overseas. A Jones departure to Inter Milan would not free up space for Barcola, for example. With so many moving parts, it is too early to predict just what the Reds' final squads for the first half of the season might look like. But with both incomings and outgoings required, expect things to liven up over the rest of the month as Liverpool and Iraola look to finalise their plans.
