Are Liverpool Still the Team to Beat After a Busy Transfer Window?

Are Liverpool Title Favourites After a Huge Summer Spend?

As the 2025/26 campaign approaches, Liverpool find themselves in an increasingly familiar position among the top contenders, but with a slightly different face and standpoint. The summer has brought sweeping change to the red half of Merseyside, not just in terms of personnel but in the tone of ambition set from the very top. The sale (sort of) of Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid may have left an emotional scar. Yet, it hasn’t slowed the club’s momentum under the now fully-embedded leadership team of Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes. This pair of young decision makers was questioned continually a year ago, however, the FSG banners have no option but to put down their flags.

With the Premier League title secured last season, and Arne Slot proving himself as more than just a transition coach, expectations are sky-high again. The only question left to ask is whether this refreshed Liverpool outfit is about to dominate… or still warming up the red engine.

Slot 2.0: Building on a Title-Winning Blueprint

Winning the league in your first season as Liverpool head coach is no small feat — and Arne Slot managed it with tactical clarity and structural intelligence, much to the amazement of fans and pundits alike. What defined last year’s triumph wasn’t just resilience or flair, but the rediscovery of team balance and cohesion. The departure of Trent Alexander-Arnold this summer, although emotionally difficult, felt like a tactical reset rather than a rupture, one that can benefit the patterns of play that were once reliant on the departed number 66. In his place comes Jeremie Frimpong, a more traditional wide outlet who has enjoyed a full pre-season and offers the directness that Mohamed Salah can thrive alongside. His pace and athleticism are frightening, whereas his work rate and desire to defend are refreshing.

Milos Kerkez, another early arrival, has brought intensity and verticality to the left flank, which was looking tired and predictable. Florian Wirtz looks set to become the central creative force in the final third, and Hugo Ekitike offers a change-up option for Slot’s preferred striker profile. All of these players have had meaningful time to settle — and that’s deliberate by decisive acts. Liverpool’s leadership wanted their summer business mostly concluded before August to avoid the kind of disjointed integration that plagued previous seasons, something that a top coach like Slot will appreciate and use to his elite advantage.

With Salah and Virgil van Dijk both extending their contracts, the core leadership group remains intact, with Trent rarely offering much in the way of instruction. Arne Slot isn’t starting from scratch — he’s now evolving what he built and designing his pathway to success.

Targeting Isak and Guéhi: Final Pieces or Future-Proofing?

The remaining holes in Liverpool’s squad are not deep, but they’re still significant enough to have one or two concerns. As of early August, Newcastle United are playing hardball over Alexander Isak, but the forward is understood to be pressing for the move and will surely transpire once Eddie Howe secures a replacement. Isaak’s arrival, possibly funded by Darwin Núñez’s imminent exit to Al Hilal, would complete the front line’s transformation. Isak is clinical, intelligent, and tactically versatile — and under Slot, he’d lead a front five that includes Wirtz, Ekitike, and the ever-dangerous Salah.

At the back, Liverpool have kept close tabs on Marc Guéhi, especially as he has now entered the final year of his current contract. With Ibrahima Konaté’s contract still unresolved and Joe Gomez’s role potentially shifting to sporadic, Guéhi offers defensive assurance, Premier League experience, and room to grow into a future leader.

A defensive midfielder could still arrive — particularly if holes are found in the opening weeks of the season and before the window of change shuts. That position remains the one vulnerability should Wataru Endō’s minutes need to be managed more carefully, as despite the good moments of Ryan Gravenberch, the Dutchman simply is not a specialist at screening the rearguard.

Edwards and Hughes aren’t simply buying big — they’re buying smart. Each piece fits a broader footballing puzzle that prioritises age profile, availability, and upside. This is planning for now and what comes after.

A Resurgent City, a Desperate Arsenal… and a Ready Liverpool

The competition is fierce. Manchester City, wounded by Liverpool’s title win, will undoubtedly push back with a vengeance. Pep Guardiola’s final contract year adds further urgency and if they manage to avoid sanctions until after Pep’s departure, it could see them strive for one more tainted title. Arsenal, meanwhile, have poured over £1 billion into their squad under Mikel Arteta without a major trophy to show for it — meaning this season could be the last chance for this current project to deliver silverware.

But Liverpool’s position is uniquely powerful, despite having to follow the era of Klopp. They’ve just won the league, they’ve retained their two most iconic veterans, and they’ve added quality across every line. There’s a risk that so many new additions may take time to fully gel, but the upside far outweighs the concern. With the majority of new players signed early and a world-class head coach now operating with complete autonomy and clarity, the Reds are set up to strike hard and early.

The first few weeks of the season will be telling — especially with the Community Shield against Crystal Palace acting as an unofficial benchmark — but the direction is clear to all, even the support of the opposition.

Liverpool aren’t just the challengers. They are, once again, the standard to beat.

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