Speaking less than a week after he was confirmed as a Premier League champion, Arne Slot admitted the lack of jeopardy in the remainder of his maiden season at Liverpool allowed him the time to fix his gaze towards the summer.

The existence of a £30m release clause, coupled with the fact the 24-year-old is said to be hugely keen on a move, meant the club could be relaxed as they surveyed the landscape of a post-Alexander-Arnold world, but talks are firmly in motion now and it is likely the speedy and versatile wing-back will be Anfield-bound before too long?

Florian Wirtz transfer move would say everything about Liverpool's intentions in summer market	Ben Jacobs: Liverpool ‘aware’ of potential ‘market opportunity’ for 24y/o who’s wowed Bellingham	Liverpool’s Transfer Window: Key Moves to Watch and How They Could Shape the 2025/26 Season

Anfield insiders are still of the belief that Wirtz is likely to remain in the Bundesliga by either staying another year at Bayer or defecting to Bayern Munich but the fact Liverpool have made known their admiration to the attacker's entourage, should a Premier League move appeal, means they are thinking ambitiously this summer.

That Jurgen Klopp's side finished on 99 Premier League points, however, was indicative enough of a squad that didn't need many additions, but around £70m was laid out for Kostas Tsimikas, Thiago Alcantara and Diogo Jota.

This is not the same situation as 2019 either, when the Reds won the Champions League and Klopp decided that keeping that same core together was a better use of his time than chasing a raft of new signings

Only veteran goalkeeper Adrian was signed as a first-team star alongside young hopefuls Harvey Elliott and Sepp van den Berg six years ago, and history judges that particular call as an inspired one given how the Reds tore through the Premier League the following term.

Within 12 months, Klopp's classic team had lifted the Champions League and Premier League and no-one was bemoaning any lack of activity in the transfer market