Despite their success in the Premier League last season, Liverpool seem to be having a busy summer, when they need to find replacements for some key players.
According to British media, defender Trent Alexander-Arnold has informed Liverpool's board of directors about his decision to join Real Madrid as a free player in March. Meanwhile, striker Luis Diaz - who moved to Bayern Munich for £65.5 million - also expressed his desire to leave the club, for the first time in the summer of 2024 to seek a new challenge.
Striker Darwin Nunez still wants to move to Saudi Arabia after Liverpool blocked this deal in the January transfer window. In addition, the decline in form of defender Andy Robertson last season forced Liverpool to look for an alternative at left-back.
Meanwhile, the tragic death of striker Diogo Jota in July not only caused heavy losses in spirit but also increased the pressure to upgrade the attack for The Kop.
Given the fact that the five players averaged 2,723 minutes last season, it is clear that Liverpool will need time to adapt to the new squad. In addition, the transition process has become even more difficult when some current stars have not reached the usual form.
The most obvious example is Mohamed Salah, who is going through a surprising period of decline in form. The Egyptian has long been a household name for Liverpool since joining the club in 2017. Last season, Salah had an excellent individual campaign, scoring 34 goals and making 23 assists in all competitions.
However, this season, Salah has struggled to maintain his form, with the current expected goals and expections (npxG+xA) per 90 minutes being 0.34 - compared to 0.87 last season and an average of 0.79 throughout his career at Liverpool.
The 33-year-old has also only had 11 non-penalty shots in seven Premier League games, down almost half from 22 in the same number last season.
At the back, Liverpool's central defender pair Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are no longer as solid as in the 2024-2025 season. Since the beginning of this season, coach Arne Slot's team has conceded 9 goals - a threshold they had not reached until December last year.
At right-back, Conor Bradley's academy's product lacks discipline and dynamism, factors that have helped him become a bright talent under Jurgen Klopp in the 2023-2024 season. Meanwhile, in midfield, Mac Allister now looks like a bland replica of the player who was once voted worthy of being named in the PFA Outstanding Team in 2025.
So far, the combination of some new faces into a group of players who have not yet achieved high performance has created many problems at Anfield.
"This season has always been a difficult season. I have said this from the beginning. We have to overcome it together, not only as players but also with the coaching staff, and the fans who celebrated the championship. That is something we should not forget," Van Dijk said after the loss to Chelsea.
Slot's Liverpool being just one point behind the Premier League leaders, despite facing so much mental pressure, is still commendable. However, it is important to get them up quickly before it is too late.
