Summer Reckoning at Anfield: Liverpool Face Midfield Upheaval as Slot Prepares for Significant Overhaul

Arne Slot may be downplaying the summer ahead, suggesting there will be merely "a little transition" rather than anything "drastic," but the evidence suggests otherwise. With Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson already confirming their exits, the Anfield rebuild is shaping up to be one of the most significant in Premier League history.

The Goalkeeping Department

Alisson must stay. Slot should be pulling out all the stops to prevent his world-class custodian from following Salah and Robertson out the door. Yes, he's in advanced talks with Juventus and there's only a year remaining on his contract, but selling him for a pittance—potentially just £10m—risks leaving Liverpool bereft of experience and leadership precisely when they need it most. The alternative is a Chelsea-style descent into chaos.

Giorgi Mamardashvili deserves his chance. He arrived earlier than ideal but has shown capability when called upon.

Freddie Woodman is a perfectly serviceable third option. His performance against Crystal Palace was assured, and while he's not entirely comfortable in possession, he's more than adequate as backup.

The Defensive Line

Jeremie Frimpong remains a curious signing for a club with no wing-back tradition under a manager equally unfamiliar with the system. Still, he's useful squad depth, particularly as Liverpool must find a successor to Salah on the right wing.

Conor Bradley has flashed genuine promise, especially his performances against Real Madrid's star men. His crunching tackle on Kylian Mbappé in November 2024 and his display against Vinicius Junior a year later suggest he has the makings of Liverpool's long-term right-back solution. The concern is his desperation to nail down the role is manifesting in reckless challenges that constantly threaten dismissal. Experience should temper that youthful aggression.

Ibrahima Konate should be allowed to leave. He's become an unfair scapegoat whilst his partner skates free thanks to reputation and passing ability, yet his own form has genuinely deteriorated since last season's title-winning excellence. Real Madrid's interest in securing him on a free transfer has left Liverpool in a weak negotiating position, with Konate now making inflated demands they can scarcely refuse.

Virgil van Dijk stays, despite concerns. His previously admirable calm has become costly, with his detachment leaving teammates exposed. Yet Liverpool cannot afford to lose his experience and leadership, even if he's destined for a reduced role.

Giovanni Leoni warrants patience. A cruciate ligament tear just 81 minutes into his Anfield debut robbed him of what promised to be significant game time.

Joe Gomez should have departed two years ago and definitely needed to leave last summer. No more delays.

Milos Kerkez showed promise under Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth but has managed only mediocrity since arriving at Anfield. Whether that's a tactical fit issue or simply the adjustment period remains unclear, but selling at a loss makes no sense this summer.

Midfield Reconstruction

Wataru Endo can stay. At 33, he's unlikely to command much in the transfer market and serves as a useful utility player content to maintain standards until his 2027 contract expiration.

Ryan Gravenberch has cleverly avoided the criticism levelled at Liverpool's often-absent midfield this season. The Dutchman showed his quality with six goals and six assists in all competitions, including a fine strike in the Chelsea draw. Whether he's best deployed as a destroyer alongside another midfielder or continuing as the deepest playmaker remains a tactical question.

Alexis Mac Allister must be sold. Once gliding through games with time to orchestrate play, he now looks perpetually exhausted, struggling with basic passing and general involvement. A World Cup winner with two years on his deal at 27, he should fetch a decent fee—Liverpool need the funds, and he appears eager for a slower-paced league.

Curtis Jones needs to go. His record of 21 goals and 25 assists across 226 appearances suggests he's consistently fallen short of first-team standards. Inter Milan's interest presents an opportunity to recoup approximately £40m profit on a player who's proven he isn't quite elite.

Florian Wirtz must stay, though doubts linger. The fear is he possesses all the technical gifts but lacks the character demanded by the Premier League. Too many matches pass him by. Liverpool would never have signed him knowing how this first season would unfold, but abandoning him now risks repeating the pattern of flopping signings sold at massive losses years later.

Dominik Szoboszlai remains excellent and increasingly frustrated with those around him—future captain material.

The Forward Line

Federico Chiesa should be moved on. He barely features and his repeated snubs of Italy call-ups suggest he's equally disinterested in his current situation.

Hugo Ekitike stays. Seventeen goals and six assists represents a solid debut campaign for someone signed as backup to Alexander Isak. At £69m rising to £79m, he's a genuine talent who'll improve once he's not operating in isolation.

Alexander Isak cannot be sold despite his market value plummeting from £120m to under £90m. His injury record and inconsistent form when available make him unmoveable at any realistic price.

Cody Gakpo should be sold. The logic of the FSG model supposedly justifying Luis Díaz's sale to Bayern Munich—despite his 57 goal contributions in 49 games—rings hollow when applied to Gakpo. He's become a one-trick pony, cutting inside with predictable regularity only to find his shots easily blocked. An offer exceeding £40m would fit the stated model and actually make sense.

Rio Ngumoha stays. That a 17-year-old academy graduate has become the fans' favourite and the club's entertainment focus after winning the title and spending £450m tells you everything about Liverpool's current predicament. He represents pure profit and deserves his chance.

The midfield overhaul is coming whether Slot admits it or not. Liverpool's summer will define whether they rebuild successfully or descend into the chaos they've managed to avoid for so long.