Liverpool's biggest transfer priority just changed after Florian Wirtz absence

Liverpool has already wrapped up one signing ahead of the summer, and having done a deal for Jeremy Jacquet, its next priority should be becoming obvious for Arne Slot

Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has a big summer ahead of him(Image: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Regardless of where Liverpool finishes in the Premier League standings — and the team should be looking to push on in the race for the Champions League spots in the next few games — there will still be work to be done in the summer.

That, of course, has already started, and the extent of it will depend on other factors, such as Liverpool's progress on contracts. But with key elements of the team having begun to show signs of progress in the last month or so, the areas that lack depth are becoming clear.

With young center-back Jeremy Jacquet signed and Ibrahima Konate — albeit with his contract running down — having significantly improved lately, the defensive situation is starting to change.

In midfield, Alexis Mac Allister has struggled for large periods of the campaign and both he and Ryan Gravenberch, even though Liverpool won via a goal from the former at the weekend, couldn't cover the ground.

But in attack, even with Florian Wirtz coming to the fore of late, Liverpool is lacking proper pace and dynamism. In wide areas, particularly against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground, where the German was missed, it was really lacking quality.

Cody Gakpo and Mohamed Salah have scored only 12 non-penalty goals between them so far this season and neither has the explosiveness required to get to the byline.

Mohamed Salah endured another frustrating performance against Nottingham Forest(Image: Getty Images)

Without the speed required to beat a man and break the lines — even if Salah did look like he was capable of that again during the FA Cup win over Brighton — Liverpool is lacking that kind of profile.

Some will be quick to point to the sale of Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich last summer, but the error there was not signing a replacement rather than cashing in on a player who was 29 and wanted to go.

Rio Ngumoha has been exciting when handed chances, but Arne Slot has been right to be cautious with his body, given his age, and it would be totally unfair to expect a 17-year-old to instantly be the saviour.

Whatever happens with Salah in the summer amid persisting interest from Saudi Arabia, and whatever criticism has been thrown the way of the Egyptian and Gakpo in recent times, both are good players.

Gakpo, with Diaz for competition last season, was pushed to new levels, and bringing someone in to deliver something similar next season could feasibly see a similar situation emerge again.

There will be more than one player required when Liverpool enters the transfer market this summer. At the top of the priority list, though, should be at least one extra quality option out wide.

Get that, and the likes of Wirtz, Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak will reach new heights.