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With the transfer window finally open, we can expect to see some interesting transfers get underway. Some teams have already done their business early, such as Borussia Dortmund, who, after signing Julian Brandt, have completed their third signing in two days.
Although Liverpool already have an excellent squad and have had an amazing season, they still need reinforcements in key areas. Let's see which areas Liverpool need to address so that they can potentially win the league next season.
#1 Backup Goalkeeper
After Pepe Reina left Liverpool in 2013, they have struggled to find a suitable replacement. Simon Mignolet, Adam Bogdan and Loris Karius were all tried but failed. The problem was finally solved when Liverpool signed Alisson Becker for a reported €65 million from AS Roma in the last summer transfer window.
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He has had an excellent first season and has arguably been the signing of the season. He also managed to win the Golden Glove award, keeping 22 clean sheets throughout the Premier League season.
Although that may be the case, he cannot be expected to play all of Liverpool's games. The need for a backup goalkeeper is quite obvious. The current backup goalkeeper for Liverpool is Simon Mignolet, who was just restricted to playing the FA Cup and League Cup matches. Even though he has shown great professionalism this season, he is expected to move on this summer.
Liverpool also have Loris Karius on their books. The German is currently on loan at Besiktas this summer, and they also have an option to buy at the end of his two-year loan deal. But after last season's Champions League final, we are pretty sure that no Liverpool fan wants to see the German in a Reds shirt again.
The answer for Liverpool might be in their squad already, in the name of Kamil Grabara. The 20-year-old youngster is seen as an exciting prospect by the Liverpool academy. Even though the Polish international is still far from a finished product, being a backup for Alisson and a few cup match opportunities might be the best way to bleed him into the Liverpool squad.
#2 Backup Left-Back
Liverpool has arguably the best full-backs in the world and the best left-back in the Premier League, in the name of Andy Robertson. The Scot was brought for a measly £8 million from relegated Hull City in 2018, as a backup for Alberto Moreno.
Since then, Robertson has greatly improved under Klopp and is leaps and bounds ahead of Moreno in the starting lineup. Moreno, on the other hand, has been quite suspect in defence and has been virtually frozen out by Klopp, with the German preferring to play the versatile James Milner in the left-back position when needed.
With Moreno's contract ending at the end of the season, and with Milner now 34, it is time for Liverpool to find a worthy deputy for Robertson.
One possible man who could be the solution to this issue is Leeds United left-back Leif Davis. The 19-year-old has had a breakthrough season under Marco Biesla and is expected to have more first-team opportunities next season. He is quite highly regarded at Leeds and is no doubt an exciting prospect and is said to be worth around €4 million.
Klopp has already shown that he is an excellent man-manager. He is also one of the top managers who allow first-team opportunities to youths. We can see through the examples of Joe Gomez, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson on how well Klopp has handled the youth. With Robertson as his mentor, and with Klopp as his coach, Leif Davis can surely do wonders at Liverpool.
#3 Attacking Midfelder
Liverpool is currently lacking a proper no.10 in their current squad. They sold Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona in January 2018 for a reported 142 million euros. Since then they have failed to acquire a proper replacement. They tried to sign Nabil Fekir from Lyon in the last summer transfer window but a deal failed to materialise, with the club pulling out of the deal at the final stage.
Even though Klopp has used a system this season that does not require a no.10, they have struggled for creativity in certain games. Even though they have just signed Naby Keita last season from RB Leipzig, he acts more like a no.8 instead of a no.10. Thus, he cannot be depended upon to fill in the mighty gap that Coutinho left.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has also missed most of the season through injury. Even though he had a bright first season, the injury that he suffered against Roma last season in the Champions League Semi-finals has kept him out for more than a year. Even when he was at Arsenal, he struggled with injuries. Thus, Liverpool cannot rely on Oxlade- Chamberlain to replicate Coutinho's numbers.
The player they should go for is Ajax superstar Hakim Ziyech. He has been absolutely fantastic this season and has been a key player in their road to the Champions League Semi-finals, where they were beaten by Tottenham. He has found the net 21 times this season and has also notched up 24 assists. He can also play as a winger and could provide valuable cover for Salah and Mane.
With his asking price reported to be around €26 million, he would most definitely be a bargain signing for Klopp and Liverpool.
