Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Saturday, June 4.
Liverpool transfer decisions assessed
With question marks over Sadio Mane and growing intrigue over the long-term future of Mohamed Salah, a busier-than-expected summer could await Liverpool.
However, regardless of how Jurgen Klopp ultimately chooses to mould his squad, there's one area in which the Reds are likely to once again do plentiful business.
The loan market. Whether to help progress youngsters with their first experience of senior football or give much-needed game time to fringe players, Liverpool have increasingly looked to utilise temporary moves.
A total of 16 players had a loan away from Anfield over the season with varying degrees of success. So, how did they fare?
READ MORE: FSG cannot allow unthinkable £50m Liverpool situation to emerge amid Mohamed Salah contract talks
Sepp van den Berg (Preston North End)
Arguably the biggest success of Liverpool's loanees having returned to Championship side Preston, where he spent the second half of last season. Operating at centre-back or right wing-back, the 20-year-old featured in all bar one game and played against the Reds in the Carabao Cup in October.
Nat Phillips (Bournemouth)
Switched to the South Coast in January after two appearances for Liverpool's first team earlier in the campaign and was a regular as he helped the Cherries to second place in the Championship and promotion back to the Premier League. Bournemouth have been told they must cough up around £15m to make the deal permanent, with a number of other clubs interested.
Neco Williams (Fulham)
Proved a triumph under Marco Silva after moving on deadline day to Craven Cottage, with Fulham winning the Championship. Had made eight appearances for Liverpool during the first half of the campaign, and is expected to attract plenty of transfer attention this summer.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
Thiago Alcantara reality emerges
Two out of four ain't bad. The quadruple may have been just out of reach - certainly, nobody in English football history has got closer - but Liverpool had plenty to celebrate this season.
The FA Cup and Carabao Cup were secured as Jurgen Klopp's side also took the Premier League title race into the final 10 minutes of the season, despite it looking like Manchester City had the title in the bag from as early as mid-January.
The Champions League final was reached for a third time in five years only for events off the field to contribute to a disappointing 1-0 reverse to Spanish giants and European Super League enthusiasts Real Madrid.
The ECHO has been rating Liverpool's players throughout their 63 games this season, marking them out of 10 for every appearance in which they played for at least 15 minutes.
Here, then, we assess the campaign of each player, using their average ratings as a guide. Prepare for some surprises.
The men who impressed
In terms of regular starters throughout the campaign, Mohamed Salah (7.18) just about remained ahead of the rest despite an obvious dip in form following his return from the Africa Cup of Nations. With 31 goals and 16 assists in 51 outings, he is a deserved winner of the ECHO player of the year award - at least in terms of our ratings.
The Egyptian was narrowly ahead of Alisson Becker (7.15), whose Golden Glove award underlined his position as one of the best goalkeepers in the world, and Thiago Alcantara (7.14), the Spaniard particularly outstanding from February onwards including a perfect 10 in the home Premier League win against Manchester United.
Ibrahima Konate (7.07) demonstrated his growing promise with more game time during the second half of the season, while Sadio Mane (7.04) was consistently Liverpool's best player having returned from the AFCON as a winner and the tournament's best player. Trent Alexander-Arnold (7.02) was recognised for steadily impressive form.
READ THE FULL STORY HERE.
