'It doesn't bear thinking about' - Nightmare transfer scenario Liverpool must avoid

The transfer window has been open for - check notes - exactly three days, but a section of the Liverpool fanbase have still already started to fret about the Reds’ lack of activity.

Beyond expiring contracts, Calvin Ramsay’s loan exit to Wigan Athletic is the club’s only completed deal so far. And while it was always set to be a slow start to the window, given the fact that both the European Championship and Copa America are taking place, Liverpool have a new head coach in Arne Slot and there have been a plethora of changes behind the scenes, but for some, such excuses are simply unacceptable.

Boo, hashtag FSG out, burn everything to the ground! Or you could just take a deep breath, relax a little and wait for transfers to happen when they happen.

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After all, it’s still roughly three weeks to the start of pre-season, 61 days until the start of the new Premier League campaign and 74 days until the transfer window closes - AKA plenty of time for any wheeling and dealing to take place once that pesky international football is out of the way!

It would be a major shock if the Reds did not strengthen their squad this summer, with a new centre-back on their wish list at the very least. Beyond that, there could easily be a need for reinforcements in goal, defensive midfield and in attack at Anfield.

But what if that doesn’t happen?! Well clearly, it doesn’t bear thinking about! So let’s think about it and ponder what a nightmare summer transfer window would actually look like for Liverpool…

No new signings

An easy place to start, no new signings. The Reds miss out on some targets, such as Leny Yoro to Real Madrid, while others aren’t interested in a move to Anfield because Jurgen Klopp is no longer there.

Remember how Liverpool missed out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea last year? Let's have some more of that. Man City, Arsenal and Manchester United can all beat them to the signings of other transfer targets, so the Reds actually end up failing to strengthen at all throughout the entire summer.

Hands up who remembers the fume when, after winning the Champions League, Liverpool only signed Adrian, Andy Lonergan, Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg in the summer of 2019? Well this would be a lot, lot worse. Pitchforks and torches at the ready.

Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah all want out

So, as we all know, Virgil van Dijk, Trent-Alexander Arnold and Mohamed Salah are all out of contract next summer. In this nightmare scenario, they all tell Reds bosses they will not be signing new deals. The Dutchman and Egyptian have been linked with Saudi Arabia, while Real Madrid are reportedly interested in the England international so they have their suitors.

Your own point of view decides whether cashing in now or losing them for nothing next summer is actually worse, of course.

International injuries

Liverpool have been cursed by injury plenty of times during the Klopp era, so why should Slot’s Reds reign be any different? To really pile on the misery, the first setbacks under the Dutchman can come while away on international duty.

So, figuratively, picking names out of a hat, apologies to Alexis Mac Allister, Diogo Jota, Ibrahima Konate, Andy Robertson and Dominik Szoboszlai. You’ve all been struck down while away at the Copa America/European Championship so miss the start of the season. Curtis Jones is then ruled out too after getting injured in pre-season to dwindle Slot's numbers further.

So that’s a depleted squad with no reinforcements coming in as the Premier League season gets underway. What horrible bad luck.

Alisson and Diaz move on too

There’s still time for a couple more exits before the transfer window closes! Alisson Becker and Luis Diaz have both been linked with moves away, so let’s get a couple of transfer requests submitted to spice things up.

The season’s underway, the transfer window is about to close, but the South American pair are refusing to play because they want out. Liverpool reluctantly sanction both exits on transfer deadline day for knockdown fees, with no time to bring in any replacements.

Caoimhin Kelleher’s already left too, of course, in search of first team football, while Pep Lijnders has signed Vitezslav Jaros for Red Bull Salzburg. At least Adrian’s signed his new contract though, so the Reds aren’t left without a goalkeeper.

Suddenly, no new signings in the first three days of the transfer window doesn't so bad. Obviously such a nightmare scenario is never going to happen and doesn't bear thinking about.

While Liverpool have made a lot of changes behind the scenes, they are far too professional to let such monstrosities all unfold. They do want new signings, they are intending to accelerate transfer talks with Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah, and there has been no suggestion that the trio, Alisson and Diaz even want to leave.

Injuries, well they happen and are unavoidable. But even the Reds' luck isn't this bad!