Liverpool seemed to have a fantastic transfer window, but everything could quickly crumble for manager Jurgen Klopp as he has yet to secure any signings other than Alexis Mac Allister. After finishing in 5th place in the 2022/23 Premier League season, there were high expectations for Liverpool to make significant moves in the transfer market this summer.
The Kop had a perfect start by signing Alexis Mac Allister, for which they paid £45 million to secure the World Cup champion's signature. Liverpool won't be satisfied with just this deal and they want to provide Klopp with additional reinforcements.
However, things may not go according to plan as some deals are at risk of falling through. Let's look at what could happen to Liverpool during the remaining time of the transfer window.
Klopp's pleas may not be adequately met Even before the summer 2023 transfer window opened, Klopp had made clear demands to FSG ownership since February: "Money always has a strong impact. Spend in this summer to strengthen the team." The message was clear: spend or fall behind.
Liverpool's board certainly supported Klopp by signing Mac Allister, but they need to do more if they want to compete for titles in the upcoming season. If Klopp doesn't acquire the necessary reinforcements, the next season could be even more challenging than the previous one.
Klopp surely knows that with Liverpool's current squad, it will be difficult to compete for the Premier League title against Manchester City and secure a top-four position with a resurgent Newcastle or a Chelsea team vigorously "rebuilding." Not to mention the fierce competition from Manchester United or Arsenal.
Barella unwilling to leave Inter Milan The central midfield position is a concern for Klopp. Naby Keita, James Milner, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all departed this summer. The perfect answer to Klopp's headache could be Nicolo Barella, the 26-year-old midfielder who still has three years left on his contract with Inter Milan.
The Italian player played a crucial role in Inter's journey to the Champions League final with 9 goals and 10 assists across all competitions. He was also instrumental in Inter's Serie A title win in 2021 and their qualification for the Champions League in recent years.
However, he appears unwilling to leave Inter even when hearing of Klopp's interest. It's unclear why Barella rejected Liverpool and the Premier League, but Klopp will surely be disappointed as they all desired to see this midfielder in a Liverpool shirt.
No right-back signing could be a problem One solution Klopp could consider in trying to bolster Liverpool's midfield options could be Trent Alexander-Arnold. The player was given a combined role towards the end of the previous season and performed well. Trent has also been deployed as a midfielder by England's manager Gareth Southgate in recent matches.
While this could be an experiment Klopp would like to continue, Liverpool is also lacking options for the right-back position. Calvin Ramsay has joined Preston North End, leaving Alexander-Arnold as the only right-back option. Therefore, Liverpool will need to sign a quality right-back for Klopp's experiments to proceed.
Losing the race for Gabri Veiga to Chelsea It comes as no surprise to see Liverpool and Chelsea competing against each other in the transfer market. The standout battle revolves around the star player Gabri Veiga from Celta Vigo. Both clubs are pursuing this young Spanish talent, and it will surely be a blow for Liverpool if Veiga chooses Stamford Bridge as his destination.
Chelsea has the advantage in terms of finances after selling a host of players to clubs in Saudi Arabia, such as N'Golo Kante, Edouard Mendy, Kalidou Koulibaly, and many others. Chelsea will have the financial means to meet the demands of new signings, and Liverpool will suffer losses in the transfer market against a Chelsea team going through a "rebuilding" phase.
