Hi all,
Apologies, been a while since I’ve posted on here due to personal reasons, but I have a few bits of information I’ve been meaning to share for a while (apologies, this will be a long post, with a lot of names).
This is coming from the same sources within the club who gave me reliable information during the summer re Isak, Wirtz, etc. so they are sources I trust - but I need to add the disclaimer that this is a particularly volatile time at the club, and things are absolutely subject to change, so please take with a healthy pinch of salt, and don’t shoot the messenger!
There’s a feeling around Liverpool right now that everything is in motion at once. The squad, the dugout, the entire direction of the team. Nothing seems fully settled, and the word from people close to the club is that the next two windows could be as busy as anything we’ve seen in years.
Wide Options, Salah’s Future And A Shifting Attack
In attack, the expectation from those in the know is that Semenyo is lined up for January, regardless of what happens with Mo Salah. The idea has never been that he’d walk in as a straight Salah replacement. He’s viewed more as cover and competition for Luis Diaz: a direct, quick wide forward who naturally starts from the left but can operate across the line.
The word is that Semenyo in January was always part of the broader plan, just not affordable in the summer once other priorities were dealt with. That same long-term plan reportedly had Salah moving on next summer and Olise coming in on the right as the heir to that role.
The problem is that football doesn’t care much for carefully drawn timelines. A dip in form, noise around Salah’s situation and a stuttering season have thrown a lot of that neat planning into doubt. Semenyo is still expected, but where exactly he plays and who he’s supporting is less clear than it was a few months ago.
Those close to the situation are honest enough to say they don’t yet know what happens with Salah in the immediate term. If he doesn’t go in January, the strong expectation is still that he moves on in the summer. Whether Olise is still the chosen one by then might depend heavily on what kind of manager is in place and whether Liverpool stick with a winger-focused structure at all.
Centre-Back Shake-Up And Long Lists
At centre-back, the suggestion is that Guehi to Liverpool is back on and again being viewed as a January move. He’s said to have been disappointed when it didn’t happen previously, and there were quiet worries that the delay, and voices close to him in London, might talk him out of it. As it stands, the expectation remains that he makes the switch this time.
Even with that, people around the club are talking about another central defender arriving alongside him. Ordonez and Jacquet are the two names that come up most often, with a feeling that one of them is more likely than not if the opportunity lines up.
Beyond that, there’s a long list of centre-backs who continue to be monitored: Schlotterbeck, van Hecke, Antonio Silva, Diomande, Inacio, Lukeba, Ait Boudlal, Bisseck, Scalvini, Daniel Vivian, Anthony Rouault, Ryan Flamingo and Fedde Leysen all mentioned as players of interest rather than guaranteed targets. Bastoni is talked about as the dream long-term successor to Van Dijk, but also as someone incredibly difficult to prise away from Inter.
It underlines how central the position has become to Liverpool’s rebuild. They’re clearly casting the net wide, looking for value, quality and the right profile for the next five to eight years, not just the next season.
Full-Back And Midfield: Preparing For Change
Right-back is another area where movement wouldn’t be a shock. A January addition isn’t ruled out, and if it doesn’t happen then, the summer is being talked about as a likely point of action. The analysts and data staff are still said to be keen on Martim Fernandes, Givairo Read, Arnau Martinez and Michael Kayode as options they like stylistically.
In midfield, the club are bracing for the possibility that one of Mac Allister or Gravenberch could move on in the summer. That sort of change would naturally force another reset in an area that has only recently been overhauled.
The current expectation from those around the scene is that Liverpool will look to bring in two central midfielders if that scenario plays out, with Adam Wharton viewed as a priority name on the list. Alongside him, a string of other midfielders have been mentioned in internal discussions: Carlos Baleba, Angelo Stiller, Ederson, Bruno Guimaraes, Elliot Anderson, Anton Stach, Tom Bischoff, Marc Casado, Sergi Altimira, Arthur Vermeeren and Kees Smit all coming up as players who fit certain profiles the club like.
Nobody is pretending they’re all realistic arrivals. It’s more a snapshot of how widely Liverpool are looking right now, knowing the squad could tilt one way or another depending on who leaves and who ends up in the technical area.
Slot Under Pressure, Gerrard Talk And The Xabi Question
Then there’s the manager. The feeling described from inside is that Arne Slot’s position is extremely fragile. Recent results and performances have not helped, but the main reason he is still in post is thought to be the lack of an obvious and available successor, rather than any great reluctance to make a change.
Talk that Hughes and Edwards are too proud or stubborn to admit a mistake by sacking him is dismissed by those close to the situation. They’re said to still believe hiring Slot was the correct call at the time: he navigated the post-Klopp transition and delivered a league title, which gives him massive credit. But equally, they know that recognising when things have shifted and acting on it doesn’t mean the original decision was wrong.
For weeks now, internal discussions have been taking place about whether to bring in an interim to steady the ship or hold firm with Slot until the ideal long-term replacement is actually attainable. Slot is fully aware he’s under pressure and that the club are looking at alternatives. By all accounts he still backs himself to turn it around, or at least projects that confidence, and doesn’t give the impression of someone panicking about his job.
If Liverpool do go down the interim route, the name most strongly linked to that role is Gerrard. The belief is that he would instantly command respect in the dressing room and be able to motivate the group through to the end of the season. Early conversations with him are said to have gone positively. There’s also talk that he’d be open to working as an assistant to Xabi Alonso if that opportunity ever presented itself.
Heitinga has been considered, partly because of his relationship with some of the players, but Gerrard is still seen as the most likely interim if the club decide to go that way. Klopp, as expected, has never been under consideration for a return.
For the permanent job, the data and recruitment staff aren’t all pulling in exactly the same direction. Names like Fabregas, Nagelsmann, Glasner, Iraola and Emery have fans in different corners of the room. Even so, Xabi Alonso is widely regarded as the preferred choice. The early read from those watching the situation closely is that he’d be very keen on taking the Liverpool job if and when Madrid decide his time there is done.
Uncertain Times, Big Decisions Ahead
Put all of that together and you get a pretty stark summary: as things stand, it feels unlikely that both Arne Slot and Mo Salah will be at Liverpool when next season kicks off. The club are gearing up for significant movement over the next two windows, even off the back of a big summer just gone.
There are more names on the radar than could ever realistically come through the door, and everyone involved knows that. The point is not that all of these players will sign, but that Liverpool are preparing for several different scenarios at once in a period that’s anything but stable.
Ultimately, recruitment will hinge on who the next manager is, when that appointment is made and what footballing ideas they bring with them. Systems, shapes and preferences will all feed back into whether it’s wide forwards like Olise, build-up defenders like Bastoni types, or press-resistant midfielders like some of those listed that are pushed hardest.
These are unusual times for the club, and it might be messy before it looks clear again. But the sense from those keeping tabs on the inside is that Liverpool are not standing still, even if that means making tough calls on big names. However it plays out, it’s going to be a fascinating few months at Anfield.
