Liverpool have been the most proactive English club in the transfer market this summer.
Before the players have even returned to Melwood for pre-season training, Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Danny Ings, Joe Gomez and er, Adam Bogdan, have been added to the squad and a breaking news ticker announcing the arrival of Nathaniel Clyne is expected any minute now.
On top of that a new striker is expected to arrive at Anfield, with both Carlos Bacca and Christian Benteke heavily linked with a move.
And the even better news for Liverpool fans is that Raheem Sterling’s likely transfer to Manchester City will subsidise the majority of these deals.
At the moment, without a ball being kicked, Liverpool look to be heading into the new Premier League season in a strong position to challenge for a Champions League place.
Admittedly, we’ve been here before. For every good signing in recent years, like Luis Suarez or Phillipe Coutinho, there’s been twice as many duds, such as Andy Carroll, Stewart Downing and Mario Balotelli.
However, this summer the club seems to have learnt from their mistakes, and are addressing weaknesses within their squad.
We’ve looked a number of ways Liverpool could line-up next season. We’ve deliberately not accounted for the injury-plagued Daniel Sturridge, as the striker is unlikely to return before October.
And we’ve assumed that Sterling will be on his bike soon enough.
Firstly, it looks certain that this will be the first-choice back four:
Should Liverpool sign Clyne, he’ll slot right into a settled defence. Dejan Lovren has failed to secure a starting spot since signing for £20 million from Southampton last summer, with Mamadou Sakho and Martin Skrtel looking more composed than the Croatian centre-half.
But Lovren and new boy Joe Gomez provide decent back-up, while Tiago Ilori, who spent last season out on loan, has impressed for Portugal in the under-21 European Championships.
At left back Alberto Moreno was defensively suspect at times, but was impressive going forward and Simon Mignolet was the club’s player of the season, despite a tricky opening few months.
The front six isn’t as easy to predict.
Liverpool could line-up in a variation of 4-3-3, for the first time during Brendan Rodgers’ tenure at the club. Emre Can looks certain to anchor the midfield, with the energetic duo of Jordan Henderson and James Milner in front of him.
The England duo are similar players, but one would imagine they’ll be certain to start when the season opens away to Stoke City. Milner hasn’t joined Liverpool to start on the bench, as he he did a lot at Manchester City, while Henderson is likely to be the new club captain.
Liverpool’s new signing Roberto Firmino is relatively unknown to Premier League fans, but is best deployed in the No 10 role.
According to South American football expert Tim Vickery, the Brazilian is: “quick, he’s mobile, his movement is intelligent. He can bang in goals from 30 yards… he has got an excellent long-range shot.
“His movement is good, to ghost in behind the final defender and get poacher’s goals. He can combine with his back to goal.”
Firmino appears perfect foil for Coutinho. They’re both creative players, who can drift across the forward line and offer a goal threat and high work rate.
Who’ll play in front of the pair remains to be seen, but Liverpool’s number one target is reportedly Christian Benteke. The Aston Villa striker is a proven Premier League goalscorer, can effectively lead the front line, and offers teams a number of different options.
The 24-year-old Belgian is technically good, capable of linking up with his teammates, while also offering a very effective direct option.
Benteke has thrived at Villa off crosses into the box, and while Liverpool’s above formation has a narrow midfield, one would imagine full-backs Moreno and Clyne will provide the necessary width, and deliveries into the box, to utilise Benteke’s strengths.
Liverpool reportedly aren’t prepared to meet Villa’s £32.5 million asking price, hoping for a deal closer to £25 million, but with another two months of the transfer window to go, there’s plenty of time for a compromise to be met.
Sevilla’s Carlos Bacca, an older and slightly cheaper option, would be an exciting consolation, should Liverpool miss out on Benteke. The 28-year-old Colombian scored an impressive 20 goals in 37 La Liga appearances last season.
Option No 2.
Before you say it Liverpool fans, we know Firmino isn’t a striker in the classic sense of the term. However, should Liverpool miss out on their forward targets, the Brazilian could be forced to play there when the season begins.
They’re hardly going play Mario Balotelli or Rickie Lambert up top.
The change of formation brings Adam Lallana into the side, and moves the versatile James Milner into position he’s very comfortable playing. The former City player could be perfect foil for the attack minded Nathaniel Clyne, providing cover. He can also drop into midfield and guarantees a high work-rate.
Lallana and Coutinho are interchangeable, and Firmino would most likely drop deep, creating space for his fellow forwards.
Option No 3.
OK, we’re being generous starting Danny Ings, but, again, if no new striker arrives by the time the season begins, then Ings could start, with Firmino and Coutinho playing behind him.
Divock Origi, set to return from loan at French side Lille, is another option to play up front, but this team is definitely in the ‘maybe’ pile.
Option No 4.
If, for some reason, be it food poisoning, a series of very unfortunate injuries or bubonic plague, which has only affected the first choice players in Liverpool’s squad, then this abomination is how they’ll line-up. What? It could happen.
Right now, it looks like there’s more chance of Fabio Borini starting the first Liverpool game next season than Raheem Sterling, but even Brendan Rodgers’ worst enemy wouldn’t wish for this scenario.
