For the first time in seven years, Liverpool are heading into a season without Champions League football.
The Reds were expected to continue their competitive rivalry with Manchester City and challenge for all honours again, only to fall flat on their faces and end 2022/23 in a Europa League berth.
Jurgen Klopp’s team have looked back to their potent best going forward this summer but serious question marks remain regarding their defensive stability.
Here are 90min’s picks for Liverpool’s winners and losers from pre-season.
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Following the shock departure of Jordan Henderson to Al Ettifaq in the Saudi Pro League, Virgil van Dijk was appointed as only Liverpool’s fifth permanent captain of the 21st century.
It’s a huge honour for the Dutchman, who becomes only the second non-British skipper in the club’s history, following on from Sami Hyypia.
Van Dijk has been handed the armband by Klopp, with Trent Alexander-Arnold named as vice-captain.
Neutrals love Darwin Nunez for the sheer and utter chaos he brings to a football pitch. Liverpool fans would probably prefer him to turn that intangible menace into some more goals.
The Uruguayan has, to his credit, scored four times this pre-season, but his game time has dwindled as the summer has gone on and the Reds have welcomed more of their first-team stars back.
Klopp started a rather attacking front six of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz in Monday’s friendly against Darmstadt. Nunez is sliding back down the pecking order, though he’ll at least have chances to win his place back throughout a busy season.
Liverpool’s signing of Diaz back in January 2022 from under the noses of Tottenham Hotspur raised a few eyebrows. Salah wasn’t going anywhere. Jota had just about found his feet as a starter. Sadio Mane remained undroppable.
Though Mane’s departure wasn’t confirmed until six months later, Diaz immediately came in and announced himself as one of the world’s most electrifying wingers, a perfect long-term replacement.
His 2022/23 season was heavily disrupted by injury, but the Colombian is gearing up for a full-throttle campaign and has got heart-rates going again throughout Liverpool’s summer preparations.
The signings of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have effectively relegated the perennially-injured Thiago Alcantara to the bench.
He just doesn’t bring the physicality needed to play as either a six or an eight in Klopp’s system anymore. Losing water-carriers in Henderson and Fabinho will only serve to exacerbate the veteran Spaniard’s flaws.
90min understands Thiago has received offers from the Saudi Pro League this summer. Don’t rule out an exit just yet.
Liverpool have seen three bids rejected by Southampton for Romeo Lavia, though they have not walked away from negotiations and a deal could be completed in the near future.
The Belgium international has been courted by England’s biggest and best clubs this summer and it would hardly be a shock if a move to Anfield transpires, becoming the Reds’ latest starlet to join their rebuild.
Liverpool’s dedication to playing an insanely high defensive line has remained throughout pre-season. A senior replacement to Fabinho looks unlikely at this stage.
It seems that Klopp isn’t going to change his ways, and Lavia – a gifted but raw 19-year-old midfielder – may soon be tasked with keeping the Reds from completely imploding.
No pressure, son.
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