Liverpool

Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, PA Media

It is a new era at Liverpool this season. Arne Slot has replaced Jurgen Klopp and the Dutchman will be holding his first Premier League news conference on Friday morning.

There will be plenty to chat about, with the club's lack of transfer activity set to be high on the agenda as the Reds go into the new season as the only top-flight side who have not made a major signing.

They have been close a couple of times with Anthony Gordon and Martin Zubimendi, but Reds fans are still waiting for a new arrival to come through the Anfield door.

Earlier in the summer, Liverpool turned down signing winger Gordon as Newcastle United, who were trying to raise money to comply with profit and sustainability rules, wanted Jarell Quansah going the other way as part of the deal.

It then emerged a deal was agreed for Gordon involving Reds defender Joe Gomez moving in the other direction but the Magpies ended up selling midfielder Elliot Anderson to Nottingham Forest and winger Yankuba Minteh to Brighton to generate funds.

Liverpool moved for Zubimendi believing he was open to joining them from Real Sociedad, only for the Spain midfielder to change his mind.

Slot has always stated the quality of the squad Klopp left him and that players need to be of a certain standard to make the Reds better, so we will see what more he has to say on the issue.

There should also be some chat about the contract situations of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah. They all have one year left on their Liverpool deals and captain Van Dijk has said there has been no change in his situation.

Plus, where does Slot plan to play Alexander-Arnold? Right-back or midfield? The 25-year-old was used in midfield for England at Euro 2024 before that "experiment" was quickly abandoned.

You can never read too much into pre-season but some decent results are always helpful when you replace a club legend at the managerial helm like Slot has.

The real test starts with a game at Ipswich at 12:30 BST on Saturday in their Premier League season opener.

All the key lines from Slot will be on this page later, and go to our live page for the best of the quotes from all of Friday's Premier League news conferences

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No player in Premier League history has scored more goals on the opening day of the season than Liverpool's Mohamed Salah.

He has scored eight, level with Alan Shearer, Frank Lampard and Wayne Rooney, while only the latter has registered more goal involvements in the first game than Salah.

Image source, Getty Images

The latest transfer gossip is that Liverpool are edging closer to signing Valencia and Georgia international Giorgi Mamardashvili for about £30m - but do the Reds need another goalkeeper?

The Telegraph's Luke Edwards told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily podcast a move for Mamardashvili would likely then see him loaned out for a full season.

"Do Liverpool need to spend that amount of money on a goalkeeper this summer? I am not so sure," said Edwards.

"If he came then I would imagine he would go out on loan. But he is a very talented goalkeeper with all the raw ingredients you need."

Former Premier League goalkeeper Paul Robinson disagrees with the idea of signing him to loan out because, at 23, he is playing regular first-team football in La Liga.

"It would stunt his development as a goalkeeper if he was not to play week in and week out," Robinson added.

"Mamardashvili is an outstanding talent and for me, he was the best goalkeeper in La Liga last year for Valencia. He has made over 90 appearances for them and he is just getting better and better. We saw him at the Euros for Georgia and for someone with such great stature to command his box, he is so agile. He is the modern day goalkeeper.

"But he has been linked with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus, so he is not going to want to go to Liverpool and sit on the bench to watch Alisson to play every week.

"He is one of the hottest young goalkeepers in Europe so he will want to play and that factor will come into his decision."

Listen to the Football Daily podcast on BBC Sounds

It's that time of the year again - the annual act of foolishness in which I try to predict the outcome of the 2024-25 season for all 20 Premier League clubs.

Liverpool - third

Arne Slot is undertaking the seemingly impossible task of replacing Jurgen Klopp but the former Feyenoord coach benefits from inheriting an outstanding squad left behind by his predecessor.

Liverpool have an array of world-class talent, with Mohamed Salah still the talisman, along with keeper Alisson, captain Virgil van Dijk and Trent Alexander-Arnold.

Slot also has Liverpool's young brigade to call on. This can be the real breakout season for Harvey Elliott, with England's new interim manager Lee Carsley a huge admirer.

Martin Zubimendi's decision to stay at Real Sociedad was a blow as Liverpool seek a new number six for Slot.

And while there is understandable anxiety from supporters about the lack of signings, this remains an exceptionally strong Liverpool squad. They will challenge for trophies and finish in the top four.

Read all of Phil's predictions here

Ian Kennedy
BBC Radio Merseyside reporter

There will be certain fascination for how Liverpool might fare under new head coach Arne Slot.

It feels strange writing this piece now and trying not to mention Jurgen Klopp (there, I failed) but Liverpool's pre-season results and performances suggest all is well.

Yes, there has been concern that Slot has not yet made signings, although there is still time. Another centre-back perhaps or a defensive midfielder. But if you look through the squad, there are options for just about every position.

Think of that forward line. Finding three from Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, and that midfield with players like Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Ryan Gravenberch all vying for regular starts.

The club also has a host of young talent, many of whom got their chance last season, and surely will again.

Slot has huge shoes to fill but his quiet, smiling demeanour, not to mention his track record, suggests a man who knows what he is doing and will relish the challenge ahead.

That challenge includes the expectation that goes with the job. He inherits a side back in the Champions League and will obviously want to qualify again next season via league position. Top four yes, but the ambitions might be higher and Liverpool will want to be challenging for the title once again. A cup final or two might be on the agenda too.

Not the easiest start, away at a promoted side on day one, but victory at Ipswich might just get the wheels turning on a new era at Anfield.

We asked for your views on Liverpool's interest in Valencia and Georgia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

Here are some of your comments:

Matt: It is stupid. It is literally the one position at Liverpool that doesn't require filling and isn't complicated by an expiring contract. Building for the future is fine, but the here and now is critical. Richard Hughes claimed that we wanted opportunistic transfers, and this hits that target, but it's not going to placate the fans.

Lucas: I do think he is one of the best young goalkeepers in the world, but it would be so unfair on Kelleher to make him third choice. So if Liverpool sign Mamardashvili, I think they should send him on loan for a season or two and then let Alisson and Kelleher decide if they wish to stay of not.

Ken: This would be an utterly baffling move. It looks like an attempt to push Alisson out of the door in the next few years because he is one of our highest earners. Top goalkeepers can play at their peak into their late 30s, so there should be no need for succession planning at this stage. FSG should focus on renewing the contracts of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold and Salah.

Charley: In my eyes, we should buy him and then send him on loan for a season. Then we should sell Alisson to the Saudi Pro League for a reasonable fee and bring Mamardashvili back as our number one.

John: I've lost all hope in our recruitment team. Why are we pursuing another keeper when we already have two world-class ones at our disposal? That's not to say Mamardashvili isn't great, but I don't see him getting proper game time if Kelleher stays. We should be filling the holes in midfield and defence left by Fabinho and Matip.

Rich: Liverpool always leave everything until the last minute. They let players go before they can replace them. We need another striker, a midfielder and a centre-half. Liverpool are always penny-pinching when all of the other top Premier League clubs have done their deals - then they start panic buying.

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport football statistician

Of all the teams in the Premier League last season, Liverpool were perhaps the most deserving of their position behind the top two, ranking third in over two-thirds of the stats above.

The fact that they had the best attack in terms of creating chances will give new head coach Arne Slot a lot to be excited about, but less so their struggles to take them, as the Reds scored fewer goals than their xG while both Manchester City and Arsenal overperformed theirs.

Liverpool were a distant third defensively as they were significantly leakier than the top two - conceding 12 more goals than Arsenal and facing 120 more shots than City.

Fans will be hoping Slot can get things all lined up nicely at the back.

Mandeep Sanghera
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

There has been some chat about Liverpool being interested in Valencia goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili.

BBC Sport understands talks of a deal may be premature but, at this stage, the Reds are exploring what a move could potentially look like for the 23-year-old Georgia international.

Liverpool are aware they have a world-class keeper in Alisson and the 31-year-old remains their first choice.

In terms of Mamardashvili, it is case of whether any deal could work for both the player and the Anfield club.

Mamardashvili played in Georgia’s four games at Euro 2024 before they were knocked out by eventual winners Spain at the last-16 stage.

What do you think, Reds fans? Is it the right time for the club to sign another goalkeeper? Would Mamardashvili be the right target?

Send us your views here, external

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BBC World Service introduces you to the five bosses who will be making their managerial debuts in the Premier League this season in a special podcast on BBC Sounds.

Sportsworld’s John Bennett is joined by Dutch football journalist Elko Born to discuss Liverpool's new head coach Arne Slot before Saturday's first game of the season.

"Slot has a clear sense of the type of football he wants to play, " said Born. "He is quite a strict manager and does think discipline is very important for his squad. That comes from him trying to achieve the certain style of football he thinks is effective.

"For every player there’s a role. He’s very good at communicating to players ‘this is what I expect of you in order to play this type of football’. Sometimes that's for the first eleven, sometimes for someone not always in the first eleven but who has a role in the squad to come off the bench and perform.

"He is very good at communicating, but not necessarily from the sense of ‘everything is fine, let me just be friends with everybody’, but by being open and clear. That’s something Slot is really good at. Everybody knows their place and within the squad, people have faith in the future and look forward to it.

"We saw that at Feyenoord, and I think that’s what we’re starting to see a little bit at Liverpool."

Listen to Introducing The Premier League’s New Managers on BBC Sounds

We asked for your views on the news that Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi has turned down a move to Liverpool.

Here are some of your comments:

Yusuf: Why would you turn down a club that has won six Champions Leagues to stay at a club where you won't win anything? In my opinion, he has not thought about the situation and he will live to regret his decision. However, the emergence of Gravenberch has given me confidence in that defensive midfield spot and now I think we should go for a centre-back to replace Joel Matip.

Robel: My issue is not the player rejecting a move from his boyhood club, so did Stevie G. However, it is a lame oversight from our recruiting department. Reminiscent of the Tchouameni and Melo saga, which was disastrous and embarrassing. Why are all our eggs in that basket and where is plan B? Players playing out of position will run out of steam and desire.

Michael: If any player is not fully committed to joining Liverpool then we don't want them. I don't care how good they think that they are, if they are not prepared to walk barefoot to Anfield then thanks, but no thanks.

Mark: It was ambitious of Liverpool to target a player who had already turned down an offer to come to the Premier League with Arsenal, so one can only assume they had been given encouragement that he would join. You’d have to think that if they don’t go after another target then they’ve failed to address a known weakness, which is poor.

Joe: Zubimendi turned us down to stay at his boyhood club. Gerrard did it for us, and hopefully Trent will do the same. Yes, Liverpool’s obviously a bigger club than Real Sociedad, but he isn’t a world class player. It’s not that big of a loss for us. However, now we do need to figure out what to do about the defensive midfield position. The fans deserve more from FSG.

Jeremy: If he doesn’t want to come, then we don’t want him. A poor decision on his part - it may be ironic that we meet his club in a European match, as he’ll then realise what a great club Liverpool is.

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Where will you finish in the league and why?

Given it is Arne Slot's first season in charge, third is a realistic target. The Dutchman has had hardly any time to work with his best players considering their late return from various international tournaments, so it is unfair to expect him to do what Jurgen Klopp could not do last season and finish ahead of Manchester City and Arsenal, especially considering the team has not been strengthened.

Who is the best signing or has he not signed yet and who should it be?

Liverpool are the only team in the top five leagues who have not signed a single first-team player. The squad is deep and there are lots of exciting youngsters coming through, but there are gaps in defence and holding midfield. I would love Adam Wharton but he is probably too expensive.

What do you want from your manager this season?

To form a bond with the fans and implement a possession style of football that sees us far less open when we lose the ball. Last season was crazy. Liverpool made loads of chances, finishing poorly, but also conceded opportunities against even the weakest opponent due to the - at times - reckless, all-action style. Slot will hopefully bring control and composure.

Who will be the breakout star in your squad?

Curtis Jones or Harvey Elliott. Both are very close to becoming first-team regulars and have been two of the best players in pre-season. Jones can sit in a double pivot in midfield and control tempo, while Elliott will likely be deployed as the advanced midfielder where his creativity can wreak havoc. Both will be in the England squad next summer.

What is your one major concern?

The contract situations of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk. You can't replace those three and they are all out of contract in 2025. Salah will likely go, but Liverpool need to work very hard to keep the other two. It would be heartbreaking if Jude Bellingham lured Trent to Real Madrid on a free, when once we thought the pair would join up at Anfield.

Jordan Chamberlain can be found at Empire of the Kop, external

What do you think about Martin Zubimendi's decision to turn a move to Liverpool down?

Could the club have done more? Will it prove costly?

Tell us here, external

Alex Howell
BBC Sport football news reporter

Image source, Getty Images

After midfielder Martin Zubimendi decided to stay at Real Sociedad rather than join Liverpool, supporters on social media started to look for alternatives the club could sign.

One name that started to come up repeatedly alongside montages of his performances was, Crystal Palace midfielder Adam Wharton.

The 20-year-old was part of the England squad for Euro 2024 but didn't play any minutes.

Wharton has a contract until 2029 and only made his Premier League debut in February.

As well as midfielder Wharton, Palace will be welcoming Cheick Doucoure back after a long-term Achilles injury.

Doucoure was one of the players Liverpool were linked with last summer and Palace put a minimum value of £70m on him.

The Eagles won't be expecting to lose either of those players after Michael Olise departed for Bayern Munich and Marc Guehi is nearing a move to Newcastle.

However, if Wharton continues his rise and Doucoure hits the form he did before his injury it could be a different story next summer.

Curtis Jones says the Liverpool players are "all excited" for the start of the Premier League season and for the new challenge under head coach Arne Slot.

For Jones, who came through the Reds' academy, it is also the first time in his senior career that he has been coached by someone other than Jurgen Klopp.

"I am excited," he told BBC Radio Merseyside's Giulia Bould. "We have started well, but we know there is going to be a battle.

"It is a new style of play that suits me because I can get on the ball more and be free. It suits the other lads too so we are all excited but we can only see what it is really like when the season starts.

"When he [Slot] joined, he said the principles will still be the same in the way we press high and play with loads of energy. We want to have the ball because we are a world class team.

"But he just wants us to have more possession and a clearer style which is his own. Klopp always had his way, which is normal in football.

"It is the first time that I have ever had change as it has always been the same staff, but for other lads who have come from other clubs, they are more used to these things.

"The pressure is always from myself and not the outside world. I just want to help the staff and team as much a possible and for the fans too because they pay to come and watch."

Ryan Baldi
BBC Sport

Image source, Getty Images

Just what is Trent Alexander-Arnold's best position?

It is a question pondered by fans, pundits and managers and, as the 25-year-old prepares for Liverpool's 2024-25 campaign, all eyes will be on new manager Arne Slot's answer.

He has spent the majority of his senior career with the Reds at right-back but, with lingering doubts over his defending, some believe he should be used in midfield - where he has lined up for England in six of his past seven starts.

Former England defender Gary Neville has described Alexander-Arnold as a generational talent, while ex-England boss Gareth Southgate said he has "as good a passing range as anybody in world football".

Alexander-Arnold was absent for Liverpool's tour of America but started Sunday's final pre-season friendly against Sevilla at right-back - a position youngster Conor Bradley has also impressed in.

But, with his contract expiring in the summer and persistent links to Real Madrid, is it time to utilise Alexander-Arnold in a more regular advanced role?

"The game has evolved now," says former Liverpool, Blackburn Rovers and Republic of Ireland player Jason McAteer, who, like Alexander-Arnold, played as a right-back and a central midfielder during his career.

"Today's full-back is a lot more like a wing-back. You've got to get forward. You've got to get balls into the box. And you have this hybrid role where you come into midfield.

"Trent has got that many attributes that you've got to get him into the team. You look at Trent now and he's grown up, he's evolved."

That evolution has seen Alexander-Arnold's influence at Anfield grow. With a range of passing, vision and creativity honed during his past as a midfielder, his unique skillset has allowed him to become a playmaker from full-back.

Read more on Alexander-Arnold's best position here

Liverpool have received a third bid from Red Bull Salzburg for 19-year-old midfielder Bobby Clark. The Austrian side had an £8m offer for the Englishman rejected on Sunday but the new offer is expected to be closer to the £10m asking price. (Times - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

After a long summer break, BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club is back in action this evening.

Tune in as the panel cover all the major talking points from the summer and look ahead to Premier League football returning at the weekend.

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds

BBC Sport's experts have been considering which young players may become big names this season.

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BBC Sport's Nizaar Kinsella gives his verdict on Trey Nyoni:

The 17-year-old midfielder has caught the eye of new manager Arne Slot during pre-season. He excelled in a friendly against Real Betis, which saw him singled out for praise by a manager who is usually reluctant to do so.

Nyoni joined Liverpool from Leicester last summer.

See who else our experts picked here