3 Liverpool players could soon boost Arne Slot's squad as breakout stars of 2026

Arne Slot will be hoping to get more from several of his Liverpool players in 2026, with some young talents and fresh faces ready to take the next steps at Anfield

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot is aiming for more silverware in 2026(Image: Carl Recine/Getty Images)

Liverpool finds itself behind and playing catch-up in the Premier League title race, but as 2026 unfolds, Arne Slot expects his side to continue improving.

Things have looked better in recent weeks, with some players, including Florian Wirtz, starting to look more settled after arriving in the summer. For others, there is still further work to be done, with Alexander Isak, for instance, still some way off peak sharpness.

Which players could be the breakout stars of the new year, though? Some of our Liverpool writers have had their say, and you can have yours in the comments section below.

Giovanni Leoni - Matt Addison

I'll admit, given we have only seen one game from Giovanni Leoni so far, and it came in the League Cup against Southampton, I might be getting slightly ahead of myself.

Coming in for a fee of around $35 million (£26 million), however, there is a good reason that Liverpool was so keen to snap the teenager up. Signing 18-year-olds for such substantial sums is not something that the Reds often do.

Giovanni Leoni picked up a serious knee injury on his Liverpool debut(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

When he comes back from injury — whenever that might be — Leoni will need to be carefully managed. Had he stayed fit, though, he might have got a few more games.

With question marks hanging over Ibrahima Konate (in terms of both his performance level and his contract) and Virgil van Dijk sadly unable to play at the highest level forever, Leoni will get chances. This year or next, he is a huge talent.

Rio Ngumoha - James Findlater

It's a lot of pressure to put on a 17-year-old, but Rio Ngumoha looks the real deal. The biggest question Liverpool is going to face with him is what it does next.

He's in the awkward space of having impressed Arne Slot enough to earn a regular spot in the matchday squad, but still being a bit too young to throw in at the deep end, and so he's missing out on valuable playing time with the academy.

Rio Ngumoha is one of Liverpool's most exciting young players(Image: 2025 UEFA)

That has to be rectified in 2026. Ngumoha looks far too good a player to just let his talent waste away sat on the bench week in, week out. If that means letting him play for the youth teams more regularly again, then so be it.

But based on what I've seen, Liverpool has something special on its hands. Give him his chance to shine in the FA Cup, and give him more time to develop and grow. Come next season, we could be looking at the start of something big.

Jeremie Frimpong - James Martin

It’s been a tough start to life at Liverpool for Jeremie Frimpong, who has been beset by injury woes. But he’s finally back with the squad now, and his timing could be ideal.

Whether Arne Slot sees fit to trust him as an AFCON stand-in for Mohamed Salah after so little football remains to be seen, but he’s another option at a time when the position is stretched a little thin. With so many questions about the Egyptian’s future, he even has a chance to make an optimistic pitch for a role as his long-term successor.

Beyond that, I remain a massive fan of Conor Bradley, but his own fitness record leaves a lot to be desired. Frimpong has the potential to provide really valuable cover and competition, especially with Joe Gomez, the latest to be sent to the treatment room.