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It barely feels that long ago that Virgil van Dijk was lifting the Premier League trophy at Anfield, and now we’re just a few days away from Liverpool beginning the defense of its crown.
A lot has happened since then of course, and it almost felt like an entirely new team that lined up at Wembley on Sunday for the Community Shield.
No sooner have the Reds made their way back from Wembley than they’ll be kicking off the new Premier League season against Bournemouth.
And with less than three weeks to go now until the transfer window closes, time is running out if Slot and Richard Hughes want to add to their options.
Van Dijk has made it clear to his bosses what he wants to see - a new forward, and there will likely be one name in mind for the Liverpool captain, even if he’s not going to come out and say it.
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Arne Slot will have work to do with his squad ahead of the Premier League title defense
Five years ago, the Reds were in a similar situation, with Van Dijk, Gomez and Joel Matip the only senior center-backs in the squad following the 2020 title win.
Of course, we all know what happened there, with all three missing such a large chunk of the season through injury that Jordan Henderson and Fabinho found themselves having to fill in at the heart of the defense, and before Nat Phillips and Rhys Williams came in to save the day, Liverpool’s title hopes were long over.
Heading into the new season with just three senior center-backs feels like too big a risk for Liverpool
You can understand why the club might be reticent about going after Marc Guehi now when he could be available for free next year, but if not him, then it needs to be someone else.
History tells us going into a title defense with just three senior center-backs is a big risk, and Liverpool should not be making that mistake again.
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