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And while rivals will joke about the Philippe Coutinho money still being spent, the reality for Liverpool is that at least one more significant signing feels necessary.

Once Ekitike’s arrival is confirmed, it will leave Arne Slot’s squad with just one real deficiency, although that could change if Luis Diaz and Federico Chiesa depart.

Following the departure of Jarell Quansah to Bayer Leverkusen, the Reds have just three senior options in that role - Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konate - and fans won’t forget how the last defense of Liverpool’s Premier League title panned out.

An unimaginable defensive injury crisis during 2020/21 resulted in the Reds making hasty, flawed transfer decisions and deploying midfielders as auxiliary center-backs.

Guehi is a transfer target for Liverpool

That Luca Stephenson and Kostas Tsimikas have played at center-back in pre-season underlines the dearth of options available, while Amara Nallo, the most highly rated young defender on the club’s books, was omitted from the first-team squad that flew to Hong Kong on Sunday.

Despite Liverpool’s relative calm, it would feel like a foolish decision if the squad were to contain just three senior center-backs come September 2

Van Dijk has two years remaining on his Liverpool contract and will be 36 by its conclusion

The captain has just two years remaining on his contract, which could well mark the endpoint of his glorious Anfield career.

Remarkably, since his arrival in 2018, Liverpool has only made one significant addition to its center-back ranks, when Konate signed four years ago.

It’s an admirable record that speaks to the efficiency and planning of FSG - but changes in this department feel inevitable over the coming transfer windows