For the past few years it’s been up to Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool to figure out how to follow a similar path having built a squad that was the envy of European football. The attacking trio of Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane sparked fear into every defensive unit at their peak powers while Liverpool’s resolute midfield trio of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum coupled with the defensive stronghold being led by Alisson and Virgil van Dijk made them one of the toughest teams to crack.
It all came together between 2019 and 2020 as Liverpool lifted the Champions League title before ending their long wait for their first Premier League title a year later. But Klopp’s biggest task after that was to try and freshen things up in an ever-changing football landscape.
The signing of Diogo Jota was the first sign that Liverpool were preparing for the future with Luis Diaz and Ibrahima Konate soon following through the door. Darwin Nunez was the next man Liverpool tasked with leading the club into the next phase with Cody Gakpo being signed a few months later.
In that time, ageing superstars Mane, Firmino, Wijnaldum, Milner and Divock Origi among others all left the club in marked change. But the biggest revolution has arguably come this summer with the departure of captain Henderson, making Joe Gomez the longest-serving player currently in Liverpool’s first-team squad.
Fabinho is set to join Henderson out the door to Saudi Arabia with Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister joining and drastically reducing the average age in Liverpool’s squad. Romeo Lavia looks set to be Liverpool’s third midfield signing this summer to complete their overhaul.
Of the 22 players in Liverpool’s current squad, the average age has come down to around 26 following the departures of Henderson, Firmino and Milner in particular. Adrian, Alisson, Van Dijk, Joel Matip, Thiago and Salah are now the only players in Liverpool’s squad over the age of 30.
Of those six, Matip, Thiago and Adrian will be expected to leave at the end of their contracts next year. Alisson will turn 31 this October, but Liverpool won’t have to worry about his eventual replacement for some time.
But there will soon be questions over Salah and Van Dijk, both of whom are two powerhouses in Klopp’s unit. Costing a combined £110m, the duo have been every bit of value for their money, helping Liverpool win every trophy available.
But both players have just two years left on their current deals and a decision will have to be made in the near future on what to do with the two Liverpool legends. The pair of them remain in their prime with Salah topping the scoring charts for Liverpool last season while Van Dijk is still seen as the leader at the back.
New deals for both players are certainly possible, but there will undoubtedly soon be big-money offers from Saudi Arabia that Liverpool won’t be able to match. Losing both Salah and Van Dijk would leave Alisson as the last remaining bedrock of Klopp’s initial overhaul at Anfield.
It may not come this summer, or even next. But it’s coming and Liverpool will have their biggest test yet in trying to replace the duo.
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