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Ask any Liverpool fan at the beginning of the summer transfer window which areas needed to be addressed in Arne Slot’s squad, and most would respond with the same positions: right-back, left-back, attacking midfield, and a new No. 9.
With just over three weeks left until the new season starts, all four have been addressed in the form of Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike. Even for FSG and the Liverpool hierarchy’s renowned levels of market efficiency, this summer has been remarkable. Now, the Reds will hope all four signings prove to be long-term additions to the squad.
More importantly, with six weeks left in the window, Liverpool is in an incredibly healthy position. Don’t rule out more transfers, but the majority of the squad arrivals have been secured.
Center-back is the one area that still needs to be addressed. Some supporters may have believed upgrades were needed before the window, but they feel like a necessity since Jarell Quansah’s exit.
Should Luis Diaz and/or Federico Chiesa depart, that could also hasten the need for another addition in the wide attacking areas.
But Ekitike, the seventh arrival of the window, could mark the end of Liverpool’s long-running pursuit of a new No. 9.
The plethora of names thrown up in recent months reached well into double figures before the market even began. Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, Liam Delap, Victor Osimhen, Joao Pedro, Ollie Watkins, Julian Alvarez, and Jonathan David, to name but a few.
Alexander Isak was the supporters’ preference, and last week the Reds did make a tentative approach to determine the Swede’s availability. Ultimately, Newcastle United’s unwillingness to negotiate led to Ekitike’s Merseyside switch.
Should the Magpies’ stance change, it is not impossible that Liverpool makes another ploy to sign the 25-year-old, even if that scenario feels unlikely at this stage. After the Ekitike deal was confirmed, Liverpool ECHO writer Ian Doyle reported that the Reds are "still monitoring" the Swede's situation.
What has become apparent this summer is the noise around Isak has clearly unsettled Isak. He didn’t feature in Newcastle’s pre-season defeat against Celtic at the weekend, trained alone on Monday amid reports of his lavish contract demands, while his agent has publicly admitted the forward is considering the player’s “next step.”
It feels like a transfer saga that will continue to run into the coming weeks. That may give Liverpool some hope, even if the chances of signing Isak have dwindled.
A new dynamic attacking duet of Wirtz and Ekitike may assuage any disappointment if Isak does indeed remain in the north east. Liverpool fans will even hope the latter proves to be a more astute investment in the long run.
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