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It barely feels that long ago that Virgil van Dijk was lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield, and now we’re just a few days away from Liverpool beginning the defense of its crown.
A lot has happened since then of course, and it almost felt like an entirely new team that lined up at Wembley on Sunday for the Community Shield. In reality of course, there were just four new faces on the pitch against Crystal Palace, but it truly feels like we’re entering a new era now under Arne Slot.
And with any major changes inevitably comes some teething problems. For all the encouraging signs going forward, Liverpool was noticeably shaky at the back.
That’s not the first time that’s been apparent this summer. Having conceded four goals against AC Milan, one against Yokohama, and two against Athletic Club with what was close to a strongest XI, clearly there are some kinks that need to be ironed out.
You don’t get much time to do that in modern football though. No sooner have the Reds made their way back from Wembley than they’ll be kicking off the new Premier League season against Bournemouth.
And with less than three weeks to go now until the transfer window closes, time is running out if Slot and Richard Hughes want to add to their options.
Van Dijk has made it clear to his bosses what he wants to see - a new forward, and there will likely be one name in mind for the Liverpool captain, even if he’s not going to come out and say it.
But for all the speculation surrounding Alexander Isak, it seems fairly clear there is a more pressing priority for the Reds - a new center-back.
The possibility of signing a new defender was put to Slot by former Liverpool star Steve McManaman ahead of Sunday’s game at Wembley as the pair spoke on TNT Sports, but the Dutchman is seemingly not too worried.
“I think we have more than enough options that can play there,” Slot said. “But as this club has always acted, if we see a chance in the market, we will not hesitate to take it."
That is somewhat par for the course when it comes to Slot discussing transfers, but the first part of his answer is a little bit concerning.
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Yes, Liverpool does have options in its squad to play center-back beyond Van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Joe Gomez. Wataru Endo has done it before, and Ryan Gravenberch did briefly step into the backline last season.
But are those really options a team challenging for the title should be taking? Five years ago, the Reds were in a similar situation, with Van Dijk, Gomez and Joel Matip the only senior center-backs in the squad following the 2020 title win.
Of course, we all know what happened there, with all three missing such a large chunk of the season through injury that Jordan Henderson and Fabinho found themselves having to fill in at the heart of the defense, and before Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams came in to save the day, Liverpool’s title hopes were long over.
We’re already set to start the new league campaign with Gomez injured again, and though he was available practically throughout last season, you certainly wouldn’t want to be in a position where you need Konate to avoid picking up any injuries.
Liverpool needs to sign a new center-back before the end of the window, even if Slot thinks he has enough options already. You can understand why the club might be reticent about going after Marc Guehi now when he could be available for free next year, but if not him, then it needs to be someone else.
History tells us going into a title defense with just three senior center-backs is a big risk, and Liverpool should not be making that mistake again.
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