Going into Arne Slot's first summer as Liverpool manager, the big question is which star players the Reds are going to lose, and which ones they going to choose to replace them.
Liverpool must prepare for life without star players
Liverpool appear to have already decided who they want as their successor to Virgil van Dijk, with the Reds set to compete with multiple clubs for Leny Yoro. Whilst the Lille man once looked destined for a move to Real Madrid, recent developments have seen the Reds put themselves in a prime position to pay the 18-year-old's £51m release clause.
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Despite rumours of Mohamed Salah leaving Anfield seemingly cooling off in recent weeks, the Reds are still eager to find their next star player on the wing. A move for boyhood Liverpool fan Anthony Gordon has been doing the rounds in recent weeks, though the club may struggle to agree on a price with the Englishman's current club, Newcastle.
Whilst Van Dijk and Salah are the two biggest names nearing the end of their time at Anfield, Liverpool are also planning for the scenario of another of their important players leaving this summer.
Reds ready to replace Alisson with Madrid man
As first reported by TEAMtalk, journalist Graeme Bailey has claimed that Liverpool have earmarked Real Madrid 'keeper Andriy Lunin as a possible replacement for Alisson. Recent reports have linked the Brazilian shot-stopper with a move to Saudi Arabia this summer.
Alisson arrived on Merseyside in a £65m move from AS Roma back in 2018. The fee paid to bring the Brazilian to Anfield was a world record for a goalkeeper at the time.
Whilst Alisson's departure has not progressed beyond these initial rumours, it appears that Slot and co are not taking any chances as they work to find a suitable replacement for the 31-year-old.
Despite spending many years as a second and third-choice goalkeeper at Real Madrid, Lunin finally got his chance to shine for Los Blancos during the past season. As a result of Thibaut Courtois' injury issues over the course of the campaign, the Ukrainian keeper was able to make 31 appearances in all competitions as Carlo Ancelotti's side won domestic and continental trophies.
Lunin's exploits in Madrid saw him earn the praises of Ancelotti, with the legendary coach discussing the player's suitability to replace Courtois in a press conference back in August 2023:
"We have total confidence in Lunin, who is a great goalkeeper,
"He's been very good during pre-season. He's talented and what he lacks is what all young players lack – experience, which he's going to gain day by day."
With Courtois returning to fitness at the end of the last campaign, all signs point towards Lunin returning to his role as deputy going into next season. Whilst few among the Anfield faithful will want to see Alisson leave, there is no doubt that the Ukrainian could once again prove that he is more than capable of stepping up when needed.
