As much as Liverpool fans revelled in conquering the Champions League in early June, the Premier League remains the Holy Grail for Kopites, with the Reds stuck on 18 league titles since 1990.
Not even a club record points haul of 97 was enough to land the coveted trophy in 2018/19, with an exceptional Manchester City side going one better.
While Jurgen Klopp has some of the best players in the world in their respective positions, there were times last season when a lack of depth cost Liverpool, particularly in games where opposition defences manned the barricades.
A winger, a centre forward and a creative central midfielder are likely to be among Klopp’s main targets this summer, while the German should also look at beefing up the goalkeeper and left-back positions should anything keep Alisson or Andrew Robertson out of action.
Here are 25 players that Liverpool should target if they are to be finally crowned Premier League champions…
Rui Patricio
The experienced Portuguese goalkeeper was among many Wolves players who impressed on the club’s return to the Premier League, keeping eight clean sheets and conceding only 46 goals. The 31-year-old is an excellent shot stopper with quick reflexes and has been a solid, low-risk presence in goal for club and country.
While Alisson would be almost impossible to displace, Liverpool need a more reliable backup than Simon Mignolet and Euro 2016 winner Patricio fits the bill.
His 12-year career with Sporting Lisbon and Portugal enabled him to gain plenty of big-game experience and he would present some welcome competition for the Brazilian netminder.
Andre Onana
While other Ajax players took the bulk of the plaudits last season, the 23-year-old Cameroonian was an assured presence as Erik ten Haag’s last line of defence.
He conceded less than a goal per game as the Amsterdam club won the Eredivisie title and let in only 13 goals in 12 matches during the magnificent run to the Champions League semi-finals.
Onana is renowned for his ability to block close-range shots as well as efforts from distance, while he also has a reputation for stopping penalties – of nine spot kicks taken against him in the last two seasons, only five have been scored.
Matt Doherty
Trent Alexander-Arnold has matured greatly over the past year but is still prone to defensive lapses. An experienced head like that of 27-year-old Doherty would keep the young Englishman firmly on his toes. The Irish right-back was magnificent for Wolves last season, scoring four goals and chipping in with five assists as they qualified for Europe.
He is the type of attack-minded full-back that Klopp would love, yet he also performs the defensive aspects of his game commendably. He is a proven Premier League performer who has earned his crack at an elite club after being such a loyal servant to Wolves.
Timothy Castagane
It has been a year to remember for the Belgian right-back, who began the season by making his international debut and ended it by helping Atalanta to a maiden Champions League qualification. The 23-year-old provided four goals and two assists in 28 Serie A appearances for Gian Piero Gasperini’s side in 2018/19.
Castagne is a wonderfully versatile player who can operate on either flank and has played in wide midfield as well as full-back roles. Klopp will give him that licence to roam forward while also being confident that the Belgian is an astute tackler who can get back quickly whenever Liverpool come under pressure from opposition attacks.
Jose Gimenez
Atletico Madrid will fight tooth and nail to keep the Uruguay centre-back in a summer that has already seen their defence shorn of Diego Godin, Juanfran and Lucas Hernandez. However, the prospect of teaming up with Virgil van Dijk for the European champions could certainly appeal to the 24-year-old.
The 6 ft 2 defender would give Liverpool another tall presence at the back with excellent aerial ability to go alongside Van Dijk. He is a safety-first centre-half who is adept at clearing his lines and is still young enough to improve even further while already having the substantial experience of six years playing alongside the fearsome Godin.
Manuel Akanji
The 23-year-old impressed with Switzerland at last year’s World Cup and carried that form into the season with Borussia Dortmund, with whom he almost won the Bundesliga title. He possesses phenomenal technical ability for a centre-back, recording an exemplary passing success rate of 92.9% in the Bundesliga last season.
That ability to play out from the back with confidence would allow Akanji to fit in perfectly with Klopp’s style and, like Van Dijk, he is an astute reader of the game with a happy knack for well-timed interceptions.
That composed defensive work contributes to a fantastic disciplinary record – he was only booked twice in 31 appearances for Dortmund last season.
Milan Skriniar
Slovakian centre-back with the initials MS and the number 37 shirt…haven’t Liverpool been down this road before? Comparisons with Martin Skrtel would be inevitable if Klopp takes an interest in the Inter Milan defender, but Skriniar is a player in a different mould to his fellow countryman who spent eight years at Anfield.
While Skrtel’s game was primarily based on brute force, Skriniar is a cultured centre-half with excellent ball-playing ability – his passing success rate for 2018/19 was a hugely impressive 92.2%.
He would suit Liverpool’s patient style of play and, while valued at £54million on TransferMarkt.co.uk, he would be a longer-term investment at just 24.
Mario Rui
In Andrew Robertson, Liverpool may well have the world’s best left-back right now, but Alberto Moreno’s departure leaves the Scot as the Reds’ only natural player in that position. Klopp knows that he needs more depth in the left-back slot but the likelihood of any newcomers displacing Robertson is low.
Portugal defender Mario Rui could be an astute signing for less than £11m. Reports in Italy claim that he wants to leave Napoli after a stop-start season and Liverpool would be getting a full-back with superb passing ability – he averaged 53.9 passes per game last season. While not at Robertson’s level, he would be an upgrade on Moreno.
Marvin Plattenhardt
The 27-year-old Germany left-back roves up and down the flank at will, a trait that Robertson has perfected in his time at Liverpool. He has better positional sense than Moreno and is a tough tackler, averaging 1.2 challenges per game for Hertha Berlin last season.
Plattenhardt’s willingness to cover the full length of the left-hand side enables him to get into promising positions, with a match average of 1.4 key passes in 2018/19.
He is also renowned as a deal ball specialist and, while not ready to displace Robertson right now, he would provide healthy competition for the Scotland captain at Anfield.
Julian Weigl
The talented German midfielder could be tempted to leave Borussia Dortmund after finding his gametime restricted last season. It was less than 18 months ago that Manchester City were reportedly willing to bid £40m for him but his inactivity has seen his current valuation drop to just over half that amount.
Weigl averaged 1.9 tackles and 0.9 interceptions per game this season, while also boasting a passing success rate of 93.3%.
That is far greater than Fabinho’s equivalent figure of 84.1%, indicating that the 23-year-old German could increase the tempo of Liverpool’s play through midfield while also providing an effective anchor in the middle of the park.
Ruben Neves
The 2017/18 Championship Player of the Season continued that fine form into an excellent Premier League campaign for Wolves, who pulled off a real coup when signing him from Porto two years ago. Still only 22, he has captained the Portuguese club in the Champions League and won 10 caps for Portugal.
With Fabinho being more of a stopper in the defensive midfield position, Neves provides tremendous vision and a sharp eye for a pass. He is the type of player who, upon receiving the ball from the back, looks to create opportunities for attackers.
Also, his desire to press opponents would be hugely appreciated by Klopp.
Hakim Ziyech
With Xherdan Shaqiri failing to establish himself as a regular presence in Liverpool’s starting XI, Klopp could look for another right-sided attacking player and Ziyech was one of Europe’s best in that position last season. A tally of 21 goals in 49 games in all competitions for Ajax in 2018/19 was a fine return for someone not operating as a centre forward.
The 26-year-old Moroccan was the Amsterdam club’s third highest scorer last season and also provided 13 assists, averaging 3.2 key passes per game, and he can be lethal from free kicks. Like Mohamed Salah, this North African player would give Liverpool a potent attacking threat from wide areas.
Wilfried Zaha
It is very rare for a player to represent both Manchester United and Liverpool – only Paul Ince and Michael Owen have done so in the Premier League era – but Kopites would jump at the chance to see the one-time Old Trafford youngster strutting his stuff at Anfield.
The Ivorian winger has been exceptional for Crystal Palace and has frequently been cited as the Premier League’s best player from outside a top-six club.
Zaha bamboozles opposition defences at will, averaging 3.4 dribbles and drawing three fouls per game for the Eagles. Aside to his pace and trickery, there is also ample end product, with 10 goals in 34 league games last season.
Isco
Such is the array of midfield quality at Real Madrid that Isco found himself restricted to just 11 league starts last season, although his versatility in being able to play anywhere across the midfield or even in attack saw him frequently utilised as a substitute.
Despite his limited game time, the Spain international scored six goals in 37 appearances in 2018/19, yet it is his passing ability that sets him apart. He successfully completed 88.9% of his passes last season and is a natural in the number 10 role, which would allow Roberto Firmino to spend more time in the penalty area instead of dropping deeper.
James Ward-Prowse
The narrative of Liverpool raiding Southampton is nothing new, yet Ward-Prowse would add a potent set-piece threat to the Reds and would be available at a very reasonable £16m, according to TransferMarkt.co.uk.
In a Saints team that struggled for goals last season, he was their joint top scorer with seven, a tally which included some of the sweetest-struck free kicks in the Premier League. He is still only 24 yet he has already played at this level for seven years and accrued nearly 200 top-flight appearances.
He was most unlucky not to make England’s Nations League squad given his superb form at St Mary’s.
Julian Draxler
The 25-year-old German has stiff competition in the attacking midfield sector with Paris Saint-Germain, where there is an unsavoury atmosphere after another season in which they flopped in the Champions League. The vibe at Anfield could hardly be more different, where Klopp and the fans would love a player of such cultured technique.
Draxler is adept with both feet and is excellent in one-on-one situations, whether operating in a number 10 role or in a wide attacking berth. He boasts a passing success rate of 90.2% and averages 1.7 dribbles per game. He is a player who would regularly excite the Kop and give Liverpool’s midfield an added impetus.
Thiago Alcantara
Ten years on from leaving Liverpool, Xabi Alonso remains an icon in the eyes of the club’s supporters, and his fellow Spain international is a player in the same mould.
The 28-year-old Bayern Munich man is an exquisite passer of the ball, with a success rate of 91.5%, and he operates from the same central midfield position in which Alonso initiated so many Liverpool attacks in the Rafael Benitez days.
He wouldn’t come cheap, with TransferMarkt.co.uk valuing him at £63m, but he could be the playmaker that the Reds have lacked since Philippe Coutinho left and his passing range would be a tremendous asset in unpicking massed defences in tight games.
Dani Ceballos
Like Isco, the 22-year-old is a gifted technical midfielder whose opportunities at the Bernabeu are limited by the sheer quality of other players in that sector of the pitch. He has been in fine form for Spain in the European Under-21 Championships, scoring twice in the group stage and providing two assists.
Ceballos is another player whose majestic passing ability would give Liverpool an added dimension from midfield, completing 92.3% of his passes last season. He is also known for being a committed and wholehearted player, the kind of qualities that would endear him to Klopp, a manager who places enormous value in the collective.
Goncalo Guedes
While Bernardo Silva was voted the best player of the Nations League finals, it was Guedes whose goal won the tournament for hosts Portugal earlier this month. Comfortable operating on either flank, the 22-year-old has scored 14 goals and provided as many assists in his two seasons at Valencia, having previously been deemed surplus to requirements at PSG.
He is a player who likes receiving the ball in wide areas and cutting inside from the flanks to take on opponents while also having shots from distance, much like his fellow countryman Cristiano Ronaldo.
While not at the Juventus man’s stratospheric level, Guedes is a skilful winger who can also play centrally if needed.
Jonathan Bamba
Nicolas Pepe was the star man of Lille’s magnificent season with 23 goals and has been linked with Liverpool among other Premier League clubs, but the Ligue 1 runner-up’s next most prolific scorer with 14 goals was France underage international Bamba.
While Lille reportedly want £69 for Pepe, their potent left winger would be available for just over £15m according to TransferMarkt.co.uk.
His pace would allow him to adapt readily to the Premier League and he would give Liverpool a direct attacking threat from the flanks. He is willing to shoot when an opportunity arises, with an average of 1.8 shots per game, and his enterprising nature would help the Reds against tight defences.
Federico Chiesa
Liverpool have a somewhat chequered history with Italian players – few will care to remember Mario Balotelli, Alberto Aquliani or Fabio Borini, for instance – yet Chiesa has the pace, work rate and attacking instincts (average 3.5 shots and 2.1 dribbles per game in 2018/19) to differentiate himself from those names.
Also, the last time Liverpool bought a right-sided attacker from Serie A, they took a punt on some lad named Salah; that has worked out alright for them since. With the Egyptian likely to need a rest at some point next season given his Africa Cup of Nations duty, Chiesa is a similar type of player who could slot into the same position.
Marco Asensio
Here is another gifted young Spanish player who, like Isco and Ceballos, is criminally underused at Real Madrid. Asensio’s goal return of six goals from 42 appearances in 2018/19 may not seem great, but half of those games began with him on the bench. Also, he plays primarily as a wide attacker and not as a centre forward.
The arrivals of Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard could further limit his opportunities at the Bernabeu, and while he would be competing with Sadio Mane at Anfield, Liverpool’s need for greater attacking depth would likely see Klopp give this superb crosser of the ball more game time than Zinedine Zidane has in the Spanish capital.
Paulo Dybala
As good as Firmino has undoubtedly been for Liverpool, there remains a sense that the Reds still lack a truly elite centre forward like Sergio Aguero or Harry Kane. Dybala could be the missing piece in Klopp’s attacking jigsaw, demonstrating natural goal-poaching instincts for Juventus, for whom he had scored 78 goals in 182 appearances.
The Argentina striker is reminiscent of fellow countrymen Aguero, Carlos Tevez and Diego Maradona in that, aside from his penalty box prowess, he willingly drops deep and gets involved in his team’s link-up play, enabling him to add 31 assists to his Juventus tally. He is a lethal and energetic player that would fit Liverpool’s attack like a glove.
Krzysztof Piatek
When it comes to pure penalty box goal-poaching, there are few more effective in Europe than the 23-year-old Polish striker. Having scored 13 goal in 19 Serie A games for Genoa last season, Piatek added a further nine in 18 games after moving to AC Milan in January. Also, in just six senior caps for Poland, he already has four goals.
Those are the sort of goal returns for which £36m (his TransferMarkt.co.uk valuation) would be chickenfeed. Whether Piatek would move clubs for the third time in just over a year is a legitimate query, but in games where the Salah-Firmino-Mane triumvirate are being thwarted, he would be a very dependable option for turning draws into wins.
Arkadiusz Milik
Piatek does not have sole rights to the tag of prolific Poland and Serie A striker. Napoli man Milik netted 17 times in 35 league appearances for Carlo Ancelotti’s side last season. He is a pacy attacker whose intelligent off the ball movement enables him to get into scoring positions.
Also, his strong aerial ability (he has scored seven headed goals for Napoli) would make him an ideal candidate to regular finish off the deadly deliveries provided by Alexander-Arnold and Robertson from the flanks. He has similar attributes to fellow countryman Robert Lewandowski, who thrived under Klopp in his Borussia Dortmund days.