As Liverpool continue to chase down an unprecedented quadruple, it’s quite surreal when you look back 12 months and consider the state Jurgen Klopp’s side then found themselves in.
Having lost Virgil van Dijk, Joel Matip, Joe Gomez and Jordan Henderson to season-ending injuries, the Reds’ Premier League title-race had long since been derailed as they entered May.
And having seen late equalisers deny them all three points against both Leeds United and Newcastle United, they sat sixth in the table and were staring down the genuine possibility of failing to even qualify for the Champions League.
Liverpool would win their last five games to recover and finish third, but it was a lucky escape for Klopp ’s men after they had spent the previous year as champions of England, Europe and the world. Yet despite the mitigating circumstances regarding their disappointing campaign, they still faced doubts regarding their credentials heading into the 2021/22 season.
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They lost Gini Wijnaldum on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain after failing to agree new terms, while Ibrahima Konate was their only summer signing, prompting concerns about the financial backing from owners FSG.
Meanwhile, they boasted an ageing squad, with James Milner, Adrian, Thiago Alcantara, Henderson, Joel Matip, Roberto Firmino, Van Dijk, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah all set to be aged 30 or over come the end of the upcoming season.
Also littered with perceived injury-prone players, who knew whether Van Dijk would ever recover his previous elite form that made him the best defender in the world.
Meanwhile, with the likes of Salah, Mane and Firmino out of contract in 2023 with Klopp set to follow in 2024, Liverpool looked to be a side in transition facing an uncertain future, with the coronavirus pandemic ultimately robbing them of their chance for a prolonged spell of dominance at the top of European football.
Fortunately for Kopites, the Reds have made a mockery of any such fears during the season and not just because they’re in the hunt for the quadruple. While some of their players are still ageing or out of contract, a quiet revamp has taken place in plain sight.
And with Klopp signing a new contract with the club until 2026, work is already in place for the next generation of his great Liverpool side.
The imminent signing of Fabio Carvalho from Fulham is the latest example of the Reds’ ongoing squad surgery, with the 19-year-old impressing as a number 10 in the Championship this season. Scoring 11 goals and registering eight assists to help the Cottagers win promotion as champions, the Portugal youth international is set to join for an initial £5m and go straight into Klopp’s first team squad.
While Liverpool don’t play with a number 10, with the German preferring a 4-3-3 formation, Carvalho is perhaps seen as a potential long-term replacement for Firmino as the Reds’ false nine. However, as demonstrated by Harvey Elliott’s transition from right-winger to central-midfielder, a surprise change of role can not be ruled out for the Fulham man.
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With Henderson, Thiago and Milner all the wrong side of 30, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita out of contract in 2023, England Under-21s internationals Elliott and Curtis Jones look set to play increasingly prominent roles in the Liverpool engine-room as Klopp engineers a changing of the guard. The Reds are also known to be monitoring both Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni and Borussia Dortmund’s Jude Bellingham, showcasing they will be in the market for a new midfielder in the near future.
Fabinho looks set to continue to be central to Klopp’s plans as Liverpool’s holding midfielder, however, with the 28-year-old having signed a new contract until 2026 last season.
Alisson, Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson also all signed new contracts last summer, keeping the Brazilian at Anfield until 2027, the Scot until 2026 and the Dutchman and England international until 2025. Throw in the 22-year-old Konate, who is also under contract until 2026, Caoimhin Kelleher, Joe Gomez and Kostas Tsimikas and the Reds’ first-choice defence will be settled, with back-up options, until FSG next want to tie Klopp down to an extension.
And while Salah, Firmino and Mane’s futures might all remain unresolved beyond 2023, the signing of Carvalho, Luis Diaz last January and Diogo Jota last summer again demonstrates how Liverpool will never be caught standing still under FSG’s watch. After all, this first great side under Klopp was built in the shadow of losing Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona.
The Colombian joined from FC Porto in a £49m as the Reds brought forward their interest ahead of what had been a planned summer swoop, with the 25-year-old contracted until 2027. Meanwhile, Jota’s own deal runs until 2025.
With the likes of talented youngsters Kaide Gordon, Conor Bradley and Tyler Morton all making Liverpool debuts this season, the Reds also continue to have a number of talented teenagers on the books looking to make the step up. With Celtic’s Bobby Doak set to also link up the summer, and Aberdeen right-back Calvin Ramsay also of interest, the club’s foresight remains most prominent.
And while it remains to be seen exactly how Liverpool plan to use Carvalho and whether or not Salah and co. stay put, the Portuguese’s arrival is just another example of how the Reds’ transfer model works and why, no matter who leaves, they continue to be successful.
