If the key to Arne Slot’s success in his first Premier League season was evolution from the Jurgen Klopp period, then a revolution at Liverpool seems to be to be the plan for the title defence.
With canny alterations, good in-game modifications and an unimaginable particular person marketing campaign from Mohamed Salah, Slot exceeded expectations with Liverpool’s Premier League triumph.
Which makes this summer time’s overhaul all of the extra intriguing.
There’s a saying that it is best to strengthen whenever you’re in entrance. Do not admire the view from the highest of the mountain, instantly begin planning for how one can climb it once more – and easy methods to do it higher subsequent time.
However few Premier League champions have been reshaped to go once more the best way this Liverpool facet have. Nearly £300m has been spent within the window up to now.
A possible British switch report spend on Florian Wirtz is the headline deal of the window and he’ll play a number one position in assault. However Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will rework Liverpool’s strategy out broad.
There might be knock-on impacts for the centre of defence, Ryan Gravenberch’s position in midfield and Mohamed Salah’s positioning. Hugo Ekitike has the potential to knit all of it collectively.
Whereas there was an acceptance at Anfield the 2024/25 champions wanted a refresh, Slot’s season two will see a giant shift.
Excessive and broad with Kerkez and Frimpong
Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit has pushed the change. Whereas on the left facet, Kerkez seems to be just like the inheritor to Robertson, paying homage to the flying Scotsman in his pomp, bombing up and down that flank, overlapping, underlapping, reducing again and crossing, Frimpong is a totally completely different participant to Alexander-Arnold.
The heatmaps of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Jeremie Frimpong present their completely different roles for Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen
Firstly, Frimpong performed in a unique place to Alexander-Arnold whereas he was at Bayer Leverkusen, tasked for granted wing-back to get into the hazard zone. Whereas Alexander-Arnold delivered from deep at Anfield, Frimpong was just about a proper winger for Xabi Alonso, taking his crew up the pitch along with his runs off the ball or by way of his dribbling with it.
Alexander-Arnold delivers the ball into the field, Frimpong delivers himself into the field.
Anticipate Kerkez and Frimpong to be excessive and broad when Liverpool assault.
Large attackers come inside
With Kerkez and Frimpong darting into these positions, the chance might be there for Wirtz, from the left, and Salah from the correct, to step inside onto their stronger foot and take goal at objective or select a chance-creating cross.
It is a trademark transfer from Salah but in addition one Wirtz precipitated substantial harm with whereas at Leverkusen.
Florian Wirtz did a lot of his work within the attacking left channel final season within the Bundesliga
Florian Wirtz’s stats for Bayer Leverkusen within the Champions League
Wirtz’s vary of abilities – the highest dribbler within the Bundesliga recorded double figures for targets and assists but in addition led the best way for prime turnovers – makes him an possibility in a variety of positions. However a roaming position from the left was Alonso’s imaginative and prescient for him and might be Slot’s plan, with the futures of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo unsure.
Salah was the Premier League participant of the yr and prime scorer final time period however because the 33-year-old ages, this can be a crew that now seems to be set as much as improve his objective risk over work fee. There have been already indicators of that shift final season, with Salah revealing Slot had relieved him of many defensive duties. It is a theme which may now proceed.
Ekitike connects it collectively
The tragic passing of Diogo Jota might be in folks’s minds each time Liverpool’s central attackers are mentioned subsequent season. The Portuguese ahead performed 37 instances throughout all competitions final yr.
Ekitike has joined Liverpool from Eintracht Frankfurt and his performances within the Bundesliga recommend he has the attributes to hyperlink up the new-look Liverpool once they go ahead.
He is 6ft 3in however greater than only a goal man. Desirous to run the channels or drop into midfield to assist construct assaults, Ekitike’s motion ought to present alternatives for Wirtz and Salah to run in behind him and revenue from the area he creates.
Hugo Ekitike’s warmth map and shot map for Eintracht Frankfurt within the 2024/25 Bundesliga season
The hope for Slot might be he can mix that teamwork with a striker’s selfishness at instances and construct on his career-best 15 league targets final season. The Bundesliga’s prime shot-taker in 2024/25 will carry loads of risk of his personal.
How the midfield will help the defence out of possession
All these attacking concepts will must be supplemented by good midfield motion behind.
Gravenberch dropping again between the centre-backs to make a 3 within the first part of Liverpool’s build-up play was noticed at instances final season whereas the Dutchman additionally got here throughout to plug gaps within the right-back space at instances.
He’s more likely to be required to do comparable subsequent season, whereas Liverpool might want to lean on Ibrahima Konate’s capacity to take care of the correct channel and Virgil van Dijk’s expertise to marshal all these transferring items.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai may even have key roles, whether or not they’re used as two No8s forward of Gravenberch or whether or not considered one of them drops alongside to type a double pivot. The opposite will then be tasked with linking up with and working past Ekitike as a dynamic No10.
Conor Bradley and Curtis Jones are amongst a squad of gamers who might be itching to carve out their very own roles, too. With Liverpool aiming to compete throughout a number of fronts, they are going to get their alternatives. And additional signings may add further layers to Slot’s gameplan.
However one factor is obvious: this Liverpool will look so much completely different to final yr’s.
