£55m defender, former Everton man - Liverpool transfers Arne Slot must make

The summer transfer window isn't even two weeks old and some Liverpool fans are getting twitchy.

New head coach Arne Slot has finally be unveiled, but Liverpool's transfer business is yet to get underway as several clubs complete a flurry of deals before the PSR deadline on June 30th.

Liverpool, though, have no such spending worries and it means the Reds can plan carefully in the market. They've been doing just that, with Slot admitting he speaks to sporting director Richard Hughes on a daily basis as they plan improvements to the squad.

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But with several clear positions Liverpool could strengthen this summer, and links with players continuing every day, just who should the Reds be targeting in the window? Our writers have their say:

Theo Squires

Wataru Endo has already told Liverpool what their transfer priority should be this summer - a new defensive midfielder.

Speaking in his native Japan, the 31-year-old admitted he'd like to see the Reds sign a new enforcer. In the same interview, he shared how he hopes to represent his homeland in this summer's Olympics in Paris, which would essentially rule him out for all of pre-season.

If that's not enough to make you realise how down to the bare bones Liverpool are at number six, nothing will.

The Reds do need another centre-back, as my colleagues argue. If Caoimhin Kelleher and Adrian leave, they will need reinforcements in goal. And no-one would be against another forward being recruited either. But at the moment they already possess first-choice options in such berths, with any new arrival complimenting their current ranks.

In contrast, a new defensive midfielder could well prove to be first-choice. Liverpool can't have another season of fielding Alexis Mac Allister out of position, while Stefan Bajcetic has spent the past 18 months injured and is still only 19. With Endo now 31 years old and not a long-term answer, the void left by Fabinho has to be filled.

Last season, we saw how much of a difference Declan Rice made to Arsenal. We have seen for a number of years the influence Rodri has on Man City. It's easier said than done, but the Reds have to find their own answer in the engine-room.

Fabinho was a game-changer when signed in 2018, helping Liverpool go on to win every major honour. Club bosses know the impact such a player can make. After a year without, it's time to go and get one.

Joe Rimmer

Liverpool's clear priority should be at centre-back.

The Reds might have a number of positions they need to fill this summer, with the forward line and central midfield too areas about which we've seen a lot of discussion. Left-back is another area where the Reds could improve should Kostas Tsimikas depart the club this summer.

But for all the arguments surrounding those positions, there are plenty of options for Arne Slot to pick from as things stand.

The same cannot be said at centre-back, where Joel Matip's departure and the ongoing injury woes of Ibrahima Konate make the area look light indeed. Jarell Quansah is a big prospect, but with just one year of senior football under his belt, he shouldn't be placed under too much pressure. And while Joe Gomez is an option, he's often required to cover out at full-back.

Meanwhile, Virgil van Dijk will be 33 when the season gets underway and out of contract next summer, some succession planning there wouldn't go amiss.

It's heartening to see Liverpool as one of the club's chasing £55m-rated Leny Yoro, with his potential clear to see. And if Liverpool do have any chance of recruiting him, they simply have to be at the front of the queue should Real Madrid waver.

They will need alternative options should he indeed end up in Madrid, though.

The idea they will not look at that position should Yoro's signing not be secured is slightly worrying. We've seen Liverpool take risks like that before and it's almost never paid off.

Richard Garnett

Liverpool's clean sheet against Wolves on the final day of the 2023-24 season was their first in the Premier League since March 2, so if that doesn't tell you that the Reds might need a bit of tightening up at the back then I don't know what will.

Ibrahima Konate has not fully convinced me that he is the man to lead Arne Slot's defensive line once Virgil van Dijk calls it a day, so there is certainly room for someone to prepare to take on that responsibility. Riccardo Calafiori has emerged as an interesting prospect and has a bit more experience than the highly-rated Leny Yoro. The Italian would also be a bit cheaper and we all know how FSG love a bargain.

I would also be tempted to bring another left-back in to put Andy Robertson under more pressure. The Scot has been a brilliant servant for the Reds but a top team never stands still. Fulham's Antonee Robinson impressed every time he faced Liverpool last season and fits the bill for the type of hard-working dynamic full-back you would want to see at Anfield.

While we're in the business of keeping things tight at the back, searching for another back-up goalkeeper seems like a pretty good idea. There's only so long Caoimhin Kelleher is going to be prepared to play second fiddle to Alisson and if I was the talented Irishman, I know what I would be doing.

Stephen Killen

As mentioned previously, defensively Liverpool could benefit from strengthening their options. However, there is still plenty of room for growth in Jarell Quansah's career and while it is an area for improvement this summer, it shouldn't be a priority.

Arne Slot will inherit a good squad, but there are plenty of avenues to bolster, in particular, up front. Mohamed Salah and Luis Diaz are facing speculation over their futures while the jury is still very much out on Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez. From his Holland exploits, Gakpo has proven that the number nine role or the 'new Roberto Firmino' isn't his calling - and he belongs on the left of a front three.

Nunez is in blistering form for Marcelo Bielsa's Uruguay but his performances for the Reds left many wanting. With the new era dawning on Liverpool, they need to provide some competition in the number nine position for Nunez and not rely so heavily upon the profligate striker.

Liverpool need a goalscorer this summer which could unlock a relaxed Nunez, who despite his goal against Panama missed several guilt-edged chances in the catalogue of squandered opportunities from the 25-year-old in 2023/24. When the margins for error between Arsenal and Manchester City are so small, Liverpool cannot afford to miss the target.

Keifer MacDonald

Of course, some areas in Liverpool's squad need more attention than others in Arne Slot's first summer at Anfield.

Jarell Quansah's surprise emergence as a genuine first-team player perhaps masked the scarcity of defensive options that Jurgen Klopp had at his disposal last season as his Liverpool side spent the early weeks of spring competing on numerous fronts.

And couple Quansah's inexperience with Ibrahima Konate's concerning injury record and Virgil van Dijk's uncertain future at Anfield and it would be no surprise to the Reds to target defensive reinforcements this summer.

But Liverpool's main priority in this summer's transfer window is to recruit a ready-made defensive midfielder who can anchor their Premier League and Champions League ambitions as Fabinho did while at the peak of his powers between 2019 and 2022.

However, since the Brazilian departed Anfield last July, the Reds have been unable to really replace his presence at the base of midfield and instead had to settle with the stop-gap solution of Wataru Endo. The Japan international's arrival at Anfield came after Chelsea had pipped Liverpool to the signings of Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo.

And if you date back 12 months earlier, Real Madrid beat the Reds to the signing of Aurelien Tchouameni in June 2022; showing that Liverpool's transfer gurus have been aware for several years that a new No.6 is required at Anfield.

That same opportunity can't be missed this summer.