Liverpool got their summer transfer window started in the best possible way with a swift move for Brighton's Alexis Mac Allister.
But with the window only officially opening today, work continues behind the scenes at Anfield to get more players in before the Reds return from pre-season training on July 8.
New sporting director Jorg Schmadtke will be a busy man as he seeks to recruit the right players to freshen up Jurgen Klopp's squad.
The ECHO has asked fans for their say on the current issues facing Liverpool, and now we've asked writers Ian Doyle, Theo Squires and Keifer Macdonald their views on the state of the club right now.
READ MORE: Kylian Mbappe transfer revelation shows brutal truth about Liverpool and FSG
READ MORE: Join the Liverpool ECHO's LFC transfer news and top stories WhatsApp community
Ian Doyle
What do you think Liverpool's priority in the transfer market should be this summer?
Liverpool have long known they needed to revamp their midfield this summer, and have already made a start with Alexis Mac Allister coming in. The engine room is the glaring area for improvement and I'd expect most of the transfer business is focused there.
How many new players do Liverpool need to sign in the summer transfer window?
Well, there's already one. I'd want to see at least one more midfielder - two would be the ideal - and a centre-back. Any others would be dependent on players leaving. There's not a lot of fat in the squad, so any exits would need replacing.
Do you trust Fenway Sports Group to back Jurgen Klopp sufficiently to build a new winning team?
The real question is whether Jurgen Klopp trusts Fenway Sports Group sufficiently to build a new winning team. That the Liverpool boss is still in position suggests he is okay with it, so the rest of us perhaps should be also. But a lot will depend on this summer transfer window and next, and what happens in the coming season.
What do you think the Reds should be aiming for in the Premier League next season?
It would be quite an achievement for Liverpool to again seriously challenge for the title straight away, although I wouldn't be surprised if they ended up being closer to Manchester City than anyone else once more. The prime aim is top four, though. Anything after that is a bonus.
Do you believe Liverpool should take the Europa League seriously next season?
Define seriously. Should they be playing full-strength teams from the off? Absolutely not. There should be enough quality in the fringes of the squad to see them through the group stage. But if they start to go deeper in the competition, then I'd expect them to give it a proper go. Why wouldn't they?
Theo Squires
What do you think Liverpool's priority in the transfer market should be this summer?
It goes without saying that Liverpool’s priority this summer is their midfield. It had to be, given the season they’ve just had, with the exits of James Milner, Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Juventus loanee Arthur Melo making it even more necessary.
While the Reds withdrew from the race to sign Jude Bellingham in April, their swift signing of Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton is an acknowledgement that they too are well-aware that midfield is their priority. The World Cup winner won’t be the only new engine-room arrival.
Having successfully revamped the attack over the past 18 months, fingers crossed this latest overhaul is equally effective. Then attention can turn to the defence and a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk.
How many new players do Liverpool need to sign in the summer transfer window?
Liverpool need four new signings at an absolute minimum this summer. With Mac Allister already snapped up, that’s two more midfielders and a new centre-back to go!
Of course, departures could ramp that total up higher. Should Caoimhin Kelleher or Kostas Tsimikas leave, then a new goalkeeper and left-back will also be sought.
Personally, I’d still like to see one more forward and a new, more experienced right-back to cover for Trent Alexander-Arnold, but they aren’t priorities with the Reds having to pick and choose what they need most.
Do you trust Fenway Sports Group to back Jurgen Klopp sufficiently to build a new winning team?
Define sufficiently. Will they provide the required funds for Jude Bellingham or Kylian Mbappe? No. Do they have deep enough pockets to spend more than a Man City or Newcastle? No.
But having already spent a reported £35m on Mac Allister, they will strengthen the Liverpool midfield sufficiently this summer at the very least. You can expect the Reds to be stronger and challenge for at least a top four finish again in the new season as a result.
That would be a ‘winning team’, but, having grown accustomed to challenging for Premier League and Champions League titles, would still not be satisfactory. FSG and Liverpool will do the absolute most within their restraints.
What do you think the Reds should be aiming for in the Premier League next season?
A return to the Champions League is the absolute minimum. With Newcastle making it a ‘Big seven,’ Arsenal and Manchester United, who could yet be taken over by Qatar, back in Europe’s elite competition, Man City buoyed by a treble win, and Chelsea and Tottenham desperate to return to the top four, the competition will be stronger than ever.
Finishing in the top four would be one step back in the right direction. But Liverpool are still a club who want to be challenging Man City for Premier League titles. If their summer business is spot on and they ensure this year’s struggles are firmly behind them, then they can start to aim higher.
Do you believe Liverpool should take the Europa League seriously next season?
Yes, obviously. It might not be the Champions League, unable to offer the same riches, but it’s still a European trophy and a competition Liverpool have done well in before. Only Sevilla have won the continent’s secondary prize more often, after all.
The group-stages will offer a good opportunity to fringe and younger players. Top the group and you skip a round, progressing straight to the round-of-16. Then it’s your traditional march to a final in Dublin, with spring Anfield European nights and a place in the Champions League also up for grabs along with the trophy if required.
Beyond Premier League exploits, be it a top four finish or challenging for the title, the Europa League is next on Liverpool’s list of priorities in 2023/24.
Keifer Macdonald
What do you think Liverpool's priority in the transfer market should be this summer?
For anyone who watched Liverpool for even a brief moment during the 2022/23 season, it was clear that the problems Jurgen Klopp's side faced stemmed from their midfield woes. The failed pursuit of Aurelien Tchouameni last year, and the unexpected regression of certain individuals, left the Reds short of quality - and quantity - in the centre of the park at times last season.
After moving swiftly to sign Alexis Mac Allister last week, further additions of similarly-ranked, established midfielders would go some way to ensuring the disappointments of last season are not repeated next term.
How many new players do Liverpool need to sign in the summer transfer window?
Despite Mac Allister's arrival, I still think Liverpool need at least one more midfielder and, if a promising opportunity arises, a central defender that can deputise for both Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate.
Having played over 100 games in Ligue 1 across stints at Nice and AS Monaco at just 22 years of age, Khephren Thuram is someone that would tick a lot of boxes at Anfield this summer. Meanwhile, Wolfsburg's Micky Van de Ven could prove to be a savvy long-term addition to the Reds' ranks.
Do you trust Fenway Sports Group to back Jurgen Klopp sufficiently to build a new winning team?
In short, yes. But whether that trust is a direct consequence of Jurgen Klopp's presence as manager, it's hard to determine. The facts are that Liverpool have reached unparalleled levels of success both on and off the pitch during FSG's tenure. And that will reach new heights in August when the Anfield Road End expansion is officially unveiled.
The swift start to this summer's business highlights the realisation from those at Anfield that there is no time to waste this summer. And FSG will need to put their hands in their pockets if they are to ensure next season's Europa League campaign is simply a one-off.
What do you think the Reds should be aiming for in the Premier League next season?
At this stage, the immediate concern should be about securing a return to the Champions League and making sure Liverpool's name is back being mentioned in the same breath as Europe's biggest hitters. Too, after watching Manchester City sweep home a treble, the thought of Liverpool once again going head-to-head with Pep Guardiola's side, at the moment, does feel like a long way off.
Do you believe Liverpool should take the Europa League seriously next season?
Yes! Liverpool should aim to win every competition they enter.
READ NEXT:
