How Liverpool will line up in 2023-24

Cameron Smith

11 Aug 2023 19:45 BST
4 min read

Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool endured a difficult 2022-23 season, with their early season form ensuring that their late campaign form was not enough to secure a Champions League spot.

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Instead, the Reds will be playing Europa League football this year, and will be aiming to fight for the Premier League title yet again in 2023-24.

The Anfield side have been very active in the transfer market this summer, with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai arriving through the door, while the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing.

They remain in the hunt to sign Brighton & Hove Albion’s Moises Caicedo - and have had a €127 million (£110m) bid for the Ecuadorian accepted - but their pursuit of Romeo Lavia has slightly stalled.

Liverpool promise to be heavily involved in the Caicedo saga until it's resolved, but how will they set-up without the midfielder in their ranks yet?

Attack

Mohamed Salah is a sure-fire bet to start on the right flank for Liverpool, with youngster Ben Doak set to be the Egyptian’s back-up in that position.

However, the other two positions in Klopp’s frontline are slightly less obvious.

Darwin Nunez, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota will all be fighting for the spots through the middle and on the left.

© ProShots - Gakpo could be played as a false nine

Nunez may have enjoyed a very productive pre-season, but Klopp preferred Gakpo in a false nine role in 2022-23 and therefore the Dutchman is more likely to start the campaign as first-choice.

As for the left, Diaz’s return to full fitness means that he is the best bet to start the new season as Klopp’s favoured option.

Midfield

The Reds clearly still need to bring in an established defensive midfielder this summer, with Thiago Alcantara injury-prone and unsuited to a deeper role, Stefan Bajcetic still extremely young and Curtis Jones better deployed slightly more advanced.

Where do you think Liverpool will finish this season? pic.twitter.com/obUY31afha
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) August 11, 2023

With neither Caicedo or Lavia through the door, Jones will start the campaign in the deep No.6 role, as he has done in pre-season, while summer signings Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will provide creativity from the free No.8 roles.

However, it’s extremely unlikely that Liverpool won’t bring in a new midfielder by the time the window shuts, so this may change by September.

Defence

Trent Alexander-Arnold will be deployed in his new inverted right-back role, which involves moving into midfield in possession, while Andrew Robertson will once again start the campaign on the opposite flank.

However, Klopp’s new system hasn’t brought the best out of Robertson, with his attacking verve somewhat stifled.

Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate will be the first-choice centre-back pairing, with Brazilian shot-stopper Alisson in between the sticks.