Liverpool keep or sell: Midfield overhaul coming as Slot braced for ‘drastic’ action | OneFootball

Arne Slot doesn’t think there will be “drastic” change at Liverpool this summer but we call the proverbial after Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson both confirmed their departures and with six more – for our money – following them out the Anfield exit.

Alisson – KEEP

Arne Slot recently admitted there will be a “little transition” at the end of the season but “probably not as drastic as last summer”.

We would suggest replacing your long-term left-back who’s made nearly 400 appearances for the club, the third highest-scoring player in the club’s history and one of the best goalkeepers ever to grace the English top flight is one of the most significant transitions in Premier League history; Slot should be doing everything possible to stop Alisson following Salah and Robertson.

Reports suggest he’s now in ‘advanced talks’ with Juventus and there will be a temptation to get a few quid for him with just one year left to run on his contract as Giorgi Mamardashvili waits very patiently in the wings for his No.1 chance.

But we worry for what would be a sudden dearth of experience and leadership in the Liverpool squad, and they risk descending into a Chelsea-like mess for the sake of £10m-odd.

Giorgi Mamardashvili – KEEP

Big gloves to fill but he’s looked capable having joined at least a year too early.

Freddie Woodman – KEEP

A Man of the Match display against Crystal Palace and didn’t embarrass himself in the defeat to Manchester United either. Evidently not all that comfortable with the ball at his feet but a perfectly decent third ‘keeper.

Jeremie Frimpong – KEEP

A really, really odd signing for a football club that’s never played with wing-backs, currently led by a manager that’s never played with wing-backs.

We can’t see Frimpong ever nailing down a starting spot but he’s a useful squad player, particularly given he can be used on the right wing as Liverpool face the daunting task of replacing Mohamed Salah this summer.

Conor Bradley – KEEP

After that memorable crunching tackle on Kylian Mbappe in November 2024 he put Vinicius Junior in his pocket a year later – he loves playing against Real Madrid.

Consistent performances anywhere close to that level will see Bradley play hundreds of games for Liverpool as their first-choice right-back.

But he has looked on the brink of a sending-off whenever he takes to the field in what feels like a rather desperate bid to secure his spot on the team. Liverpool will hope that youthful exuberance will be corrected through experience.

The problem for Bradley is the Reds chiefs may well look at the risks he poses through his selection, along with Frimpong’s unsuitability for the role, and think they need to source a new right-back option this summer.

Ibrahima Konate – ALLOW TO LEAVE

An unfair scapegoat for a lot of this season while the man alongside him skirts blame thanks to reputation and a stunning ability to pass the buck, but Konate has admittedly suffered quite the slump following his imperious performances in Liverpool’s title-winning campaign which caught the eyes of the Real Madrid skinflints.

Los Blancos chiefs were whispering sweet nothings in the Frenchman’s ears in a bid to sign him on a free transfer when his contract comes to an end – a la Trent Alexander-Arnold – at the end of this season.

Quite how the supposed excellent directors at Liverpool keep letting their players get to the end of their deals isn’t clear, but with Konate now bending them over a barrel and making what are sure to be grossly over-inflated contract demands, they have little choice but to let him go.

Virgil van Dijk – KEEP

The absurd serenity which has defined his Liverpool career and previously saw everyone heralding him as a chilled out entertainer is now coming at a cost to his side as he flouts responsibility before throwing his arms up in frustration at teammates cast as ill-defined sacrificial lambs.

But as with Alisson – more so given he’s the leader of this team – Liverpool simply can’t do without his experience, even if in a bit-part role should his downturn continue next season to make him a genuine hindrance to their progression.

Giovanni Leoni – KEEP

Cruelly denied what may well have been significant game time in his debut season after suffering a cruciate ligament tear 81 minutes into his Liverpool career. Promising minutes they were, too.

Joe Gomez – SELL

Should have left two years ago and definitely should have left last summer.

Milos Kerkez – KEEP

It doesn’t say much for his debut season at Anfield that the widely held view is that Liverpool need to a sign a first-choice left-back this summer to replace Andy Robertson. After a terrible start Kerkez has peaked at mediocrity for the second half of the season.

There’s a very good chance that Kerkez was brilliant for Bournemouth last term thanks to his brilliant manager, Andoni Iraola. While we’re not suggesting the Spaniard should be brought to Anfield for the specific purpose of improving the left-back, you’ve got to wonder how many stuttering Reds would excel under a boss renowned for getting the very best from his players.

We digress; it’s not worth selling Kerkez for a loss this summer no matter who’s in charge.

Wataru Endo – KEEP

Why not? They’re not about to get anything much for the 33-year-old so can afford to retain a useful utility player who’s happy enough not to be playing while maintaining training standards until the end of his contract in the summer of 2027.

Ryan Gravenberch – KEEP

The Dutchman has managed to skilfully dodge condemnation that’s been consistently aimed at an often-absent Liverpool midfield this season, and while we’re happy to run with the pack in that regard, we do also wonder if the Reds might benefit from more of a destroyer at the base of midfield.

Perhaps to play alongside Gravenberch, who excelled as the deepest midfielder last season, but has the requisite quality to play as more of a No.8, as he showed with his fine strike in the draw with Chelsea to take him to six goals in all competitions this season, along with six assists.

Alexis Mac Allister – SELL

After swanning through games last season as a midfielder with all the time in the world to pick and play beautiful passes it now looks as though he’s permanently at the point of exhaustion when attempting those key passes or, frankly, anything he’s tasked with doing on a football field.

Liverpool are going to have to fund a rebuild somehow and should be able to get a very decent fee for a 27-year-old World Cup winner with two years left on his deal. He looks like he wants out, too, not least so he can enjoy a more leisurely league.

Curtis Jones – SELL

We’ve never been convinced by a footballer whose ego far outstrips his quality, as evidenced by just 21 goals and 25 assists in 226 appearances for Liverpool.

There’s mutual respect between Jones and Inter Milan and Liverpool should bite hands off for £40m-odd of sweet, sweet pure profit for a guy who’s proven time and again that he’s not quite good enough for a regular first-team spot.

Florian Wirtz – KEEP

The now very real fear is that Wirtz has everything but the character required to succeed in the Premier League; you can’t really coach that.

Far too many games pass him by and the ball falling to him now serves as a reminder that he’s still on the pitch rather than engendering genuine hope that he’s about to do something special.

We’r absolutely convinced that Liverpool wouldn’t have bought him if they knew how this first season would have gone, but for now they’ve got to stick to the ‘time to adapt’ party line that more often than not ends in flops fading into insignificance before being sold for a massive loss two or three years down the line.

Dominik Szoboszlai – KEEP

We’re not sure what we’ve enjoyed more: Szoboszlai’s excellent performances this season or his increasing frustration at the displays of those around him. Future captain.

Federico Chiesa – SELL

Never plays and consistently snubbing Italy calls suggests he doesn’t want to anyway.

Hugo Ekitike – KEEP

17 goals and six assists is a decent for a debut season and maybe better than expected for a striker bought as a second fiddle to Alexander Isak. It’s worth remembering that although relatively cheap, Ekitike still cost £69m, rising to £79m.

But he’s a talented guy and will presumably improve when he’s not ploughing a lone furrow, as he was doing for much of this season.

Alexander Isak – KEEP

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear. He’s been injured for most of the season and Slot has excused Isak’s horrible form when he has been available, claiming he wasn’t match fit or needed time to adapt.

We wonder what fee Liverpool would accept to sell him this summer. His market value has dropped from £120m to under £90m. But no club is paying that for someone who can’t remain fit for longer than a month.

Cody Gakpo – SELL

The only logical conclusion to being told that selling Luis Díaz to Bayern Munich was ‘in line with the FSG model’ is that the Liverpool owners’ model is a load of balls after the Colombian’s 57 goal contributions in 49 games this season.

The fear will be that Gakpo, who could join Diaz at Bayern, will enjoy a similar uptick after leaving Anfield. But the fans are fed up with a forward who has admittedly become something of a one-trick pony, to such an extent that pretty much every time he cuts inside his efforts on goal are easily blocked by the fully aware opposition defenders.

An offer over £40m would see his sale fit into the Liverpool model; this time it would absolutely make sense.

Rio Ngumoha – KEEP

Incredible that having won the title last season and spent £450m in the summer a 17-year-old has become the fans’ favourite player, or at least the guy they’re relying on for game-changing interventions and entertainment.