Liverpool already signed five players as Jürgen Klopp plots summer transfer rebuild

Liverpool have already signed five players while Jürgen Klopp plans to rebuild in the summer transfer

Liverpool know the extent of the rebuilding they will face this summer, regardless of what happens to Jude Bellingham. But some pieces may already be in place.

It remains to be seen whether Jude Bellingham will be a Liverpool player at the start of next season. The race is in full swing and, as always, will be expensive and inadequate at the same time, it cannot be the only addition to the roster.

Jürgen Klopp needs more reinforcements. His striker looks a little more future-proof with the signings of Darwin Núñez and Cody Gakpo, but the rest of the squad have question marks.

While it might be tempting to suggest that the overhaul will extend beyond the three or four new players arriving at senior level over the summer, that seems unlikely. As many other clubs have shown in the past, integrating that number of transfers all at once can be next to impossible.

But Liverpool need go no further, assuming the three or four players arriving are the right ones. In an ideal world, Caoimhín Kelleher would stay for one more season and the goalkeeping situation would be stable, and the need for another central defender is likely to depend on someone leaving. Midfield is the only area where at least two players are required regardless of the result with Bellingham, with Mason Mount and Matheus Nunes among the names being discussed.

Elsewhere, gaps can be filled with existing players. At right-back, for example, while Jamie Carragher was talking about finding a back-up option for Trent Alexander-Arnold, Calvin Ramsay was signed last summer with that in mind.

A few injuries have limited him to two senior appearances and a red card at U21 level hasn’t been ideal for his progression, but Ramsay remains undoubtedly a player for the future

It’s a similar situation up front, where Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon continue to be great talents. Doak has played and impressed this season, showing glimpses of what he is capable of, while Gordon must not be forgotten. It could be a few more months before Gordon is fully fit again after suffering a long-term issue that sidelined him for almost a year, but he won’t have 19 years before October.

Twelve months injury-free isn’t ideal for a young player, but if Gordon were to get over those issues, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he came in last season’s Carabao Cup semi-final against Arsenal and he is one of the highest rated players in his age group. in the country.

Like Doak, he was brought to Liverpool with the future in mind and both players remain tremendous talents that Klopp will hopefully utilize when the time comes.

Stefan Bajčetić has seemingly made a big chunk of his future at Anfield with his performances in recent weeks, bringing his breakout campaign on the treatment table to a cruel end.

But perhaps the need for a third signing in midfield can be negated by the emergence of Bajčetić, although that may depend on what happens to someone like Curtis Jones, who has struggled to get minutes. And then there’s Bobby Clark, who is extremely talented. It may seem like he’s a bit far from making the senior squad, but the same could have been said for Bajčetić this side of the World Cup break.

The need for Liverpool to rebuild is evident and no one doubts that the investment needed to bring Klopp’s men back to the level they desire will be significant.

But the volume of arrivals won’t be on the same scale as Spurs after Gareth Bale or Chelsea in seemingly every transfer window under Todd Boehly. This should not be the case, because the paths of young talents are crucial.