Liverpool transfer agreement reached as Mohamed Salah exit addressed amid new problem area

Liverpool will be active in the summer transfer market, but how much surgery does Arne Slot's roster require, and should there be more major sales to finance additional moves?

Arne Slot and Liverpool will have to find a way to replace Mohamed Salah this summer(Image: Getty Images)

Liverpool is facing another big summer in the transfer market, with Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson already having been confirmed as departing — two huge parts of the club's recent history.

And aside from that, there are several issues that have emerged across the course of the last few months that need addressing, though some of that will come on the training field in conjunction with signing more players.

"It is not as simple as people think it is... 'Oh, there is a good player walking around, let's sign him'," Arne Slot said on Friday. "You always look at your squad for the short and long-term.

"Especially, this club is very focused on the long term. A lot of other clubs are very focused on the short-term, but this club tries to combine that with the long-term.

"So a lot of factors go into a decision and one of them is definitely Hugo Ekitike being out. The other one is what is available and what the rest of the team looks like and what we need."

Some of our Liverpool writers have had their say on what the summer needs to look like for the Reds. Changes can be expected, though not on the same scale as last summer's turnover.

Pace and depth - Matt Addison

This might surprise some people, but I don't think Liverpool is that far away from where it wants to be. It might feel like it, but the bones of a good roster are already there.

In most positions, there is more than one good option. Next season, Liverpool will surely be more fortunate with injuries, and a full pre-season for Alexander Isak will genuinely make him like a new signing.

Some more pace in attack is a must — at least one addition to the forward line but probably two — and beyond that, it comes down to who leaves, for me. Exits will largely dictate the needs, given that Jeremy Jacquet has already been snapped up.

At center-back, if Ibrahima Konate pens a new contract, there won't be a need to sign another defender. Giovanni Leoni, let's not forget, is a massive talent.

Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz during a Liverpool training session at AXA Training Centre on October 21, 2025(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)

Similarly, in midfield, there is an argument for an upgrade, but Curtis Jones has not played enough this season. Getting someone better than either him or Alexis Mac Allister in would be ideal, but there isn't necessarily a need for another body.

Much will come down to how much impact Liverpool thinks certain players can actually have. Not standing in Rio Ngumoha's way, for instance, only applies if the thinking is that he can be a genuine, regular option. Trey Nyoni falls into the same category.

I'm expecting to see a better version of Florian Wirtz next season and Isak will show what he can do. Players like Jeremie Frimpong should be physically more capable of matching the required intensity by that point, and Leoni and Jacquet are really exciting.

Liverpool needs more pace and depth in key areas next season, but it can get that with two or three quality additions. Anything beyond that will depend on who departs — which feels quite hard to predict.

Midfield is a concern - James Findlater

I agree with Matt that more pace is needed in attack, and one or two new forwards who can offer that should be the priority. I know some are worried about replacing the goals that Salah has offered over the years, but I don’t think Liverpool should even be thinking in that manner.

Yes, getting a winger who can chip in with a decent amount of goals would be ideal, but you’re not going to find another Salah, or if you do, he’s not going to come cheaply. In any case, you’d hope that a fit and firing Isak would be your new source of goals.

Ekitike being out for the start of next season does complicate matters, and places a lot of pressure on Isak’s shoulders, so getting someone in who could double up as a winger or a striker would probably be my first port of call. Anthony Gordon’s name is doing the rounds again, although I doubt Newcastle would be too forthcoming in letting another of its stars head to Liverpool.

I’m hoping the Reds will persist with Rio Ngumoha - he really does look to be something special, and he might help in allowing Liverpool to tackle some of its other priorities.

Rio Ngumoha should be given more opportunities next season(Image: Steven Halliwell/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Beyond a new winger or two, it really depends on whether Ibrahima Konate stays. If he goes, then a new center-back is a must - Liverpool cannot go into the new season with a 35-year-old Virgil van Dijk, a perpetually injured Joe Gomez, a 21-year-old Jeremy Jacquet and a 19-year-old Giovanni Leoni coming back from an ACL injury.

If Konate stays, I’d feel a bit more comfortable with other areas being looked at, and I think midfield has become a priority now.

Dominik Szoboszlai is a shoo-in, and Ryan Gravenberch should keep his place, even if his performances have dropped off somewhat this season. The concern is Alexis Mac Allister, who feels as though he’s gone backwards, despite only being 27.

Liverpool needs someone who can cover more ground in the midfield, maybe a proper No.6. Gravenberch was a revelation there last season, but this campaign has shown he has his limitations, and would probably be better suited in more of a No.8 role.