The first wave of Liverpool stars will arrive for preseason; the lactate test will soon follow. The Reds captain is eager to go from the looks of the photos he’s been posting on social media this week.
Many others will be as well. Liverpool needs to get back on track swiftly and make sure that something similar does not happen again following a season for which Mohamed Salah acknowledged there was “no excuse.”
However, constructive initiatives have already been taken. Once Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister enter the room, the midfield for Liverpool immediately takes on an entirely new appearance.
However, Jürgen Klopp wants adjustments before his players returned for preseason, and those have already started to be made. There may still be more transfer action.
His coaching team now has 36 days to put the ideas into practice before the Reds play Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in their Premier League debut in mid-August.
Here are the four events that Liverpool.com predicts will ‘certainly’ occur in the upcoming month as the countdown to the 2023–24 season intensifies.
Fresh talent is impressive
Although it is unknown which young players will travel to Germany and Singapore for preseason with the senior team, there are typically a lot of excellent talents present.
After nearly 18 months on the sidelines, Kaide Gordon is expected to make a comeback, but he is not anticipated to travel with the first squad. Last month, Academy director Alex Inglethorpe told The Athletic that Gordon will stick with the U21s to improve his physical condition and mental acuity.
But among those to keep an eye on are people like Ben Doak, Bobby Clark, and Luke Chambers. Next season, Doak might play a larger role in the senior team, while Clark and Chambers will likely have to make judgments about loan transfers.
There is always at least one young talent that attracts attention, that much is certain.
New signings are made
Despite the additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai to Klopp’s team, there should be more to come. While a left-sided center-back is on the wish list, Liverpool might still add another midfielder to their squad.
Additionally, there can be more expenditures. Nat Phillips must undoubtedly go on and find a place where he can play regularly, and Sepp van den Berg must also make a choice.
Several loan choices must be made as well, but these typically occur later in the window, when preseason is well under way or even finished. There is plenty of time between now and then to make the best choice regarding whether to move and where to.
To send timely reminders
Darwin Nunez, a forward from Uruguay, is one of the players who will be back for the first day of preseason. As he continues to get used to life as a Reds player, it seems like the 24-year-old needs a huge summer. He had a strong debut season, but he wants to improve upon his 15 goals from the previous season.
Others too need to demonstrate growth and advancement. After a challenging season the previous year, Fabinho wants to show that he is still in good shape. Although Virgil van Dijk wasn’t at his best, the summer break might have been beneficial for him.
Soon, during Liverpool’s preseason, Jürgen Klopp and Darwin Nunez will be together once more.
Soon, Jürgen Klopp and Darwin Nunez will be reunited for Liverpool’s preseason. (Photo credit: Suhaimi Abdullah/NurPhoto via Getty Images))Many players need to have a successful summer to prove their place in the pecking order, and, dare it be stated, someone like Luis Diaz returning may be like having a new signing in the building.
Just four players—NuNunez, Diaz, Van Dijk, and Fabinho—can prepare for a crucial period. The fight for positions will be fierce since there will be more competition, especially in the middle and attack, which can only be a good thing.
Formation change is made obvious
With a new-look 3-2-5 formation, Liverpool finished the previous season looking strong, and the additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai seem to have been made specifically to fill the more advanced number eight positions.
Trent Alexander-Arnold performed at his peak in that formation, and Fabinho gave one of his best performances in a long time. The majority of the Liverpool team would benefit most by continuing it.
However, that does not guarantee that it will appear exactly the same. The system could undergo changes as a result of the summer’s development effort. As soon as Klopp, Pep Lijnders, and the team begin to work, everything will become evident.
