Premier League: Liverpool transfer deals may be dynasty-making or risky business

During the week, one of those ‘supercomputers’, that betting companies use, ground down the stats and quality of the transfer window and came out with their predictions for the forthcoming Premier League season.

A glance at its predictions offered few surprises, even for the most amateur follower of the game. A supercomputer was hardly needed to come up with the prediction delivered.

The analysis made for bad reading again for the clubs that were promoted from the Championship, with Sunderland, Burnley, and even the relatively big-spending Leeds predicted to go straight down again in 20th, 19th, and 18th respectively. The bottom half and midtable has a similar look to last season, with the biggest jump in table form being Man United and Spurs, both expected to advance 10 spots to 8th and 7th respectively, progress but not really in contention. The top six is a facsimile of the final table for 2024-2025. With all six finishing in the exact same position, which may or may not inspire followers of the league.

Liverpool are seen likely to defend their crown, with Arsenal again expected to be runners-up for an unprecedented fourth season in a row. Man City are again also seen as finishing a close third.

What will give Mikel Arteta some hope is that the supercomputer does predict that Liverpool’s wining margin will be razor-thin, with just three to four points expected to be the gap to Arsenal. Well within the margin of error for one or other of the clubs.

Against that, one cannot but be impressed by the quality of the transfers made be Liverpool in the offseason. And should these new players click with the current championship-winning panel, well then, the rest of the Premier League could be in for a hot time when they come to Anfield.

Big change

That Liverpool Arne Slot won the title last season by only bringing in a single new player to the squad makes the free-spending splurge by the club ahead of this season all the more intriguing. If it clicks it could be imperious, but with so many new players arriving the chance of disruption cannot be ruled out.

Each part of the field could be transformed by the new introductions but none more so than the full back positions where Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez been dropped in on either side of the defence. Despite Conor Bradley filling in admirably in the absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold, Frimpong will be expected to be the starter come the new season.

On the other side the question will be whether the long-serving and heroic Andy Robertson will become a more peripheral presence with the arrival of Kerkez. The Hungarian’s youth may seem less likely to start ahead of Robertson but his play with Bournemouth, which saw him consistently appear in the opponent’s box assisting the attack, is just what Slot is seeking. Alexander-Arnold and Robertson were noted for the decisive passes into the attack for the assist, but Frimpong and Kerkez will probably be in box themselves physically. How Ibrahima Konate and Virgil van Dijk deal with the absence of their full backs in the event of a counterattack will be interesting to see.

Connections

In midfield the debate is more to do with players roles with Ryan Gravenberch maybe expected to help out the defence with those full backs effectively acting like wingers.

Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai will again be the side’s 'quarterbacks' looking to feed the attack and the expected free-roaming Florian Wirtz the kind of ball that can unpick defences.

Wirtz was noted for his touch and dribbling skills in the Bundesliga and Liverpool will hoping to find the space to allow him to demonstrate those skills. With Luiz Diaz expected to leave for Bayern Munich, the space on the left wing will be the obvious starting position for Wirtz. But expect him to pop up anywhere as he did under Xabi Alonso’ Bayer Leverkusen. The only problem with that is will that step on the toes of Cody Gakpo and Mo Salah. The German’s arrival may be the start of a handing over of roles from Salah to him, with Salah maybe taking on more playmaking and defensive duties as time goes on, something that was already seen at the end of last season as the Egyptian took on more team duties rather than his regular pure goal-poaching play.

Joining these attacking threads together is the arrival of Hugo Ekitike, who will probably see him take the on the point of attack at the centre after the tragic death of Diogo Jota and the expected departure of Darwin Nunez.

The next question in Liverpool fans’ minds is with all these changes in the attack is there an Alexander Isak shape hole in the attack should the Swedish star decide for a move to Merseyside?

It may need a supercomputer to work that one out.