Liverpool already has 3 moves lined up to unlock $600M stars for Arne Slot

Liverpool spent big money last summer on various players, with Arne Slot having struggled to get the most of them so far — but there are already reasons to think that will change

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot after his team beat Everton in the Premier League(Image: Molly Darlington/Getty Images)

Three more wins. That is the maximum that Liverpool needs to ensure that it is playing Champions League soccer next season, which, after a difficult campaign, feels like a positive outcome.

It is possible that Liverpool could overtake one or both of Aston Villa and Manchester United — two teams that it still has to face before the season concludes — but its final place in the standings, as long as it is no lower than fifth, doesn't really matter. What will count is building momentum ahead of next season.

Winning the Merseyside derby in the manner that Liverpool did will help. A victory at Old Trafford in a couple of weeks would have a similar effect if that proves possible — and then the summer will be important.

It has already been confirmed that Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson will be leaving. That, of course, will leave a substantial gap in experience and leadership that needs to be filled.

Progress has been made on a new deal for Ibrahima Konate, though, and Dominik Szoboszlai — this season's best performer — has already confirmed that he wants to stay.

The returning Kostas Tsimikas could be the back-up left-back next term, with Milos Kerkez by that point having a full year under his belt to get used to the demands of playing for Liverpool.

Slot has endured a tough season at Anfield(Image: Andrew Kearns / CameraSport)

And, of course, it should not be forgotten that the Reds have already snapped up a highly-rated center-back in the form of Jeremy Jacquet, who will arrive from Rennes for a fee of around $83 million (£60 million). In conjunction with Konate's contract, that is a significant move.

Though the work of last summer has not properly come to fruition yet, no player that was signed was a bad purchase.

Like Kerkez, Florian Wirtz has needed some time to settle, but his quality is undeniable, and Alexander Isak will be a rare example of an existing player genuinely being like a new signing, given he has played so little to date.

Liverpool will need to replace Salah with a pacy wide attacker, and depending on other exits, there will be other transfer decisions to be made as well.

But despite the poor form that Liverpool has shown for much of this season, the planning for the future has long begun.

News that Konate is on the verge of penning new terms, for instance, means there is a strong contingent of defensive options. Giovanni Leoni, like Isak, is a big talent who has so far been unable to show what he can do.

Fresh energy in the middle of the pitch might be required and adding more than one new forward may prove to be a good idea, but the bones of a good squad remain there for Liverpool.

With a little more good fortune with injuries — and a couple more quality additions when the window opens — there will be reasons for optimism. It feels more than realistic that next season, the real value of the $600M signings of 2025 will truly be felt.