Liverpool pre-season player ratings, winners and losers with one 3/10 and Rio Ngumoha superb

Though some might argue that the Community Shield is an extension of pre-season rather than a proper piece of silverware, the summer is edging closer to a conclusion for Liverpool. The proper stuff will soon begin.

So far this summer, Arne Slot has overseen games against Preston North End (3-1 win), AC Milan (4-2 defeat), Yokohama Marinos (3-1 win), and Athletic Club (twice, a 4-1 win and a 3-2 victory). Next up is a clash with FA Cup holder Crystal Palace.

Here, Liverpool.com rates the players' performances in pre-season. In a week's time, the Reds will kick off the new Premier League campaign at Anfield against Bournemouth.

Winners

Rio Ngumoha, quite obviously, will look back with huge pride at his performances this summer. He has shown a glimpse of his prodigious talent, with two goals and two assists.

Elsewhere, Florian Wirtz is already looking every inch a $150M-plus player, and Dominik Szoboszlai has excelled. The usual suspects — Virgil van Dijk, Ryan Gravenberch and Mohamed Salah — will be right up there when it counts too.

Losers

It is hard to look past those who have been injured for this section. Federico Chiesa, for instance, didn't go on the pre-season trip to Hong Kong and Japan and made very little impact.

Joe Gomez was sent home early from the Asia tour with a problem that has kept him out for a couple of weeks so far, while Conor Bradley has a minor issue at the moment. None have been or will be out for long, but the timing wasn't great.

Player ratings

Alisson Becker (6). Missing a couple of games because of a personal matter, the Brazilian wasn't involved that much. He did what he needed to do and remains the clear number one.

Giorgi Mamardashvili (7). A strong enough first impression for the Georgian. He made a few decent saves and looked good enough with his feet.

Conor Bradley (6). It started well for the Northern Irishman, who looked set to start the campaign as first choice. However, he ended it injured, which is not what he would have been hoping for.

Jeremie Frimpong (7). First impressions? He is rapid. Frimpong's acceleration is something to behold. He has played a bit on the right wing, which we are likely to see a fair bit (not least when Mohamed Salah heads to AFCON).

Ibrahima Konate (6). Solid but little more for the Frenchman. He was never bad but never particularly stood out either, which is no bad thing for a defender.

Virgil van Dijk (7). He didn't play that much because he was rested to begin with and ill at the end. A cut above the rest when he did feature, though, as you would expect.

Joe Gomez (4). Sent home early from the pre-season tour, it is hard not to worry about his latest injury setback. Gomez is set to miss the Community Shield clash with Crystal Palace and Liverpool needs to sign another center-back to help cover its main options.

Milos Kerkez (7). A pretty good start from the Hungarian. He has shown adventure at times when venturing forward, but also tucked in to form a back three at times. It will be fascinating to see how he is used.

Andy Robertson (6). Playing a bit in the middle of the defense, Robertson has looked good when he has played. Kerkez, though, is clearly ahead of him in the pecking order.

Kostas Tsimikas (6). Like Robertson, has played out of position in the center at times. The Greek must be wondering where his minutes will come from when the proper stuff starts, though he hasn't done a great deal wrong.

Ryan Gravenberch (7). Very classy for the most part, whether that is in the middle or at the back. Hopefully, he won't be shifted out of the number six role too often when the real games begin.

Alexis Mac Allister (6). Returning from injury after a couple of friendlies had already been played, the Argentine looks sharp again. He won't be at 100 per cent immediately, but will be in the starting XI on matchday one.

Dominik Szoboszlai (8). The first real winner of the summer, it has become clear that Szoboszlai will remain a key man despite the arrival of Wirtz. Playing deeper brings something different out of him, but it might just suit him better.

Curtis Jones (7). Very sharp against Athletic Club and has had a good summer. He won't be the first name on the teamsheet, but he will get plenty of chances to play.

Trey Nyoni (7). A really strong performer, which has been lost a little in the context of Ngumoha standing out. Nyoni is another teenager who is now viewed as a senior player and a genuine option.

Mohamed Salah (7). The less said about his penalty last Monday, the better. But some of his passing has been exceptional, and there are already signs that he will develop a really good partnership with Wirtz.

Rio Ngumoha (8). The breakout star of the summer. The ex-Chelsea talent has been a breath of fresh air. He is fearless, but considered, and has all the qualities that Slot would want out wide. He's a gem, and he's going to get more opportunities.

Florian Wirtz (8). Such a classy operator. Every touch, pass and shot is taken with such precision, though it still appears effortless. The German has slotted straight in and already looks set to justify his price tag.

Harvey Elliott (6). The star of England U21's European Championship win, Elliott returned a little later than some of his teammates and has been solid enough, but not spectacular. For him to convince anyone that he shouldn't leave, including himself, he probably needed to do a bit more than he has.

Cody Gakpo (7). With Luis Diaz having moved on to join Bayern Munich, the emphasis will be on Gakpo to nail down the left wing berth. The summer was a good one for him and he offers height and physicality.

Federico Chiesa (3). He scored behind closed doors against Stoke City, but didn't look great before that against Preston North End. Chiesa missed the pre-season trip to Asia and is playing catch-up again. With interest in Italy, he should move on.

Darwin Nunez (6). He's done alright and found the back of the net, but like with Elliott, it is the right time to move on. Nunez is heading for Saudi Arabia with everyone's best wishes, but it never really clicked for him in three years at Anfield.

Hugo Ekitike (7). Arriving halfway through the pre-season, the French striker has made a positive impression so far. He linked play really nicely at Anfield against Athletic Club, and his assist for Salah was a brilliant sign for the future.