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Arne Slot's start to life at Anfield as Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool replacement could not have gone better when you look at the 2024/25 campaign as a whole.

56 games in charge across all competitions saw the return of 38 wins, nine draws and nine defeats but as only four of those defeats came in ourPremier League campaign, we helped ourselves to league title No 20 with a fantastic ten point margin over nearest chasers Arsenal.

Not a bad first season in charge for the 46 year old Dutchman and for those fans who like a flutter with the likes of GG.BET the odds did not predict the outcome this time last summer, particularly as the only signing of note that he made during his maiden season in charge was £10 million Juventus talent Federico Chiesa, who barely featured anyway given his earlier injury issues.

This summer was always going to be different though, and having secured the futures of both Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk, we saw quick transfers out of want-a-way Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and Caoimhin Kelleher who moved to Brentford earlier this month.

On an incoming front we already know about us meeting the release clause for Dutch talent and international full back Jeremie Frimpong and he is now ours as TAA's replacement, but the transfer window rumour mill has us linked with plenty of other mouth watering potential targets.

One of those is clearly Bayer Leverkusen's German international playmaker Florian Wirtz.

If recent press reports are to be believed, it is suggested that we have already agreed a £100 million initial fee with his Bundesliga parent club, and that the overall deal with add ons included could reach the princely sum of £116 million, making the 22 year old midfielder the most expensive British transfer fee record in history.

With terms agreed it is said that the 31 cap international will very quickly complete his medical ahead of his move to Liverpool being announced as official, and that when it is the rumours of a six year deal will be proven wrong, as personal discussions so far have revolved around a five year deal only.

Slot will undoubtedly be pleased with that kind of contract length though as it gives him plenty of time to use, and then develop, Wirtz further for the medium term plans he clearly has in mind for us, and with 12 months now under his belt, the fact that there are no real international commitments this summer means that he can more quickly bed in our new arrivals and get them on the same page as our existing players.

The aim of course would be so that we can do the best job possible of defending our Premier League crown and tasting success again in the coming 2025/26 campaign.

Slot would certainly be wanting and hoping for more than that and fans would naturally welcome that ambition both on a domestic Cup front, as well as better meeting European ambitions in the coming campaign, but we all know defending a title and a manager's second season in charge usually carries additional challenges of its own.

But if these are the quality and calibre of signings that we are already adding to a winning squad, then there is good reason for optimism and confidence for the year that lies ahead, particularly when you factor in the additional drain that the Club World Cup will cause for some other teams.

Now we see who follows.



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