A Semi-Realistic Rebuild With Homegrown In Mind

There’s a part of squad-building that never really feels exciting, but it bites you when you ignore it: the registration rules. The homegrown side of things can quickly turn from “we’ll sort that later” to a proper headache. This plan tries to be semi-realistic while dealing with that, and it starts in the one area you can’t mess about with for long at this level: the back line.

Centre-back first, and a left-footer who helps at left-back

The core suggestion is two new centre-backs, with one of them left-footed and capable of shuffling across to left-back if needed. That bit matters, because it lets you keep your specialist left-back depth simple. The idea is to use Beck as the natural backup there, rather than clog the squad with another body who barely plays.

There’s also a fairly ruthless call at right-back. Bradley gets moved on on the basis of long-term ceiling and availability, while Gomez stays for one more year as the sensible “been there, done it” cover. That’s not glamorous, but it’s the sort of decision that can save you in October when you’re patching teams together.

Midfield balance without overbuying

In an ideal world you’d directly replace Endo with a new defensive midfielder. Truth is, that can be expensive and it can block pathways. So the more realistic version here is to use a youngster as cover in that role, while bringing in Wharton and moving Mac Allister out.

The thinking is that Mac Allister’s ability to play deeper can be covered by rotation between players already in the squad, with Gravenberch taking minutes there and Wharton offering flexibility across the middle. Importantly, it’s framed so Jones’ game time doesn’t get squeezed. That’s a key point. Liverpool have been at their best when the midfield options aren’t all trying to live in the same five-yard square.

Wide forwards: replace the output, not just the position

The big need is a starting right winger, and ideally another option for the left too. But if you’re not selling Gakpo, and you’re viewing Wirtz as someone who can drift between the left and the ten, then the smarter buy is a wide forward who can play both sides. In other words: don’t sign a specialist and then get annoyed when the squad gets lopsided again.

There’s also a nod to the reality of the market. Proper left-footed right wingers who can carry a Salah-sized load are rare, and some names are just unrealistic. So the proposed route is to go hard for a two-sided winger (Diomande) and add a younger, more out-and-out right winger option as well. Frimpong, in this setup, can even cover a bit higher up if needed.

Keeping an eye on the Champions League list

The final piece is registration. The suggested 24-man Champions League squad is built with club-trained and association-trained spots in mind, which is exactly the sort of boring detail that can make your January a lot calmer. Even if a couple of the younger lads don’t need registering, it still leaves room for one more foreign signing if the squad ends up short somewhere, maybe another left-back option or an extra midfielder.

You don’t have to agree with every out and every fee to like the framework. Build the defence properly, keep the midfield minutes sensible, and make the wide forward additions count.

Quick reality check on the tough calls

Some of the proposed outs are the type of moves that only happen if contracts, wages and player preference all line up. It’s still useful as an exercise, though, because it forces the real question: how many “good lads” can you keep around before the squad stops making sense on paper?

Written by DK97: 27 January 2026