The Premier League season is edging closer and Liverpool are looking for redemption after a disappointing previous campaign. Free-spending Chelsea pose the first challenge of the new season, as they host the Reds at Stamford Bridge.
There will be at least two fresh faces walking out in the English top-flight for the Reds after the acquisition of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
Liverpool triggered release clauses of both midfielders, firstly bringing in the Argentinian World Cup winner from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m before the Hungarian skipper became the fourth most-expensive arrival on Merseyside.
There will be a new-look squad when they return to pre-season ahead of clashes against the likes of Karlsruher, Leicester City and Bayern Munich. This summer marked the end of respective Liverpool careers for Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita after their contracts expired.
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A late fightback in the Premier League saw the Reds piece together an eleven-match unbeaten run, which included a spell of nine successive wins, as they salvaged European competition for the upcoming campaign. Europa League football is on the cards for Jurgen Klopp's side as he prepares for his first full stint in the competition as manager at Anfield.
He led Liverpool to the final in 2015 but suffered an agonising defeat in Basel as Sevilla continued their formidable run in the competition. Next summer, Dublin's Arriva Stadium will play host to the final with the Reds looking to win the only trophy that the German hasn't lifted as manager since succeeding Brendan Rodgers in L4.
The outflux of players in midfield, accompanied by a torrid exploitation of the department, posed a problem for the Liverpool head coach. As a result, reinforcements in the engine room were billed and already they have welcomed Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. The profiles of players offer different components to options with holding midfielder Romeo Lavia among the list of targets.
Khephren Thuram, Manu Kone and Ryan Gravenberch have also been eyed for switches to Merseyside but reports suggest that the Southampton man could be the next player to be unveiled at the AXA Training Centre.
The off-season for Liverpool could be instrumental for players within the current squad. Caoimhin Kelleher has faced speculation over his future as he remains the second-in-command to Alisson. Republic of Ireland manager Steven Kenny has called for the Irish shot-stopper to seek first-team opportunities but should he remain at Liverpool, he is a viable option to be alongside the Brazilian.
Speaking ahead of the end of the season, Klopp admitted that no position is safe going into the upcoming season, apart from between the sticks. There has been a case for defensive reinforcements with Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip both in their 30s.
Wolfsburg defender Micky van de Ven has been open in his admiration for the history of the Reds amid links. Yet with suggestions he could be on the way to Spurs, might Liverpool's attention turn fully to Levi Colwill? He is much-admired inside the corridors of power at Anfield, but dealing with Chelsea is unlikely to be easy.
Fabio Carvalho and Rhys Williams are among the first-team temporary departures this summer after completing moves to RB Leipzig and Aberdeen, respectively, until the end of the season. Question marks remain over the likes of Nat Phillips who has been subject to interest from Leeds United in recent weeks.
Trent Alexander-Arnold enjoyed a fruitful end to last season with Liverpool in a new hybrid role which correlated on the international stage with England against Malta and North Macedonia. He can provide a welcome selection headache due to his versatility to drift from right-back to midfield.
Curtis Jones had his best spell in the squad with 11 straight starts at the back end of the season. It would be wrong to see his progress shelved to make way for the new additions. However, like his fellow Liverpudlian in Alexander-Arnold, he can provide a tough decision over a starting role at the beginning of the season.
It has been suggested that Jordan Henderson will begin to play a bit-part role for Liverpool in the coming seasons with the emergence of Stefan Bajcetic, Harvey Elliott, Jones as well as the new acquisitions. Mac Allister and Szoboszlai have credible claims to feature in the midfield three at Stamford Bridge when they face Chelsea on the opening weekend.
Harvey Elliott played an underrated role for Liverpool last season but saw his minutes at the end of the campaign limited as they pushed for European qualification. His midfield partner Fabinho suffered a rollercoaster season with difficult spells during the campaign but refound his form to finish strongly.
The signing of Lavia poses a player who could be the heir to the Brazilian after his breakthrough season with Southampton. But with experience under his belt with Saints and the amount of reliance there was on the former Monaco midfielder last season, he would be a welcome addition to help anchor the midfield.
It remains to be seen the impact of Firmino's departure as they prepare for their first Premier League season without him in eight years. Cody Gakpo deputised in his role and showed sparks of quality through the middle.
There is likely to be a sense of redemption with Mohamed Salah after failing to qualify for the Champions League. The Egyptian has been hard at work in preparation for the upcoming term after another record-breaking season on Merseyside.
To complement the reliable forward, it will be important for Liverpool to maintain the fitness of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez. The attacking trio suffered injury issues at different times throughout the last term with Jota and Diaz both enduring a lengthy spell on the sidelines.
The former Benfica striker found his debut season difficult on Merseyside, managing 15 goals in all competitions, as niggling injuries kept him out of the squad. He proved troublesome for defenders during the campaign which provides a glimmer of excitement as to what he can do in his second year on Merseyside.
Liverpool's ideal matchday squad after summer signings
Goalkeepers: Alisson, Kelleher
Defenders: Alexander-Arnold, Robertson, Van Dijk, Konate, Colwill
Midfielders: Fabinho, Henderson, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Lavia, Jones, Bajcetic, Elliott
Attackers: Gakpo, Salah, Jota, Diaz, Nunez
