Having lifted their first Champions League title in more than a decade, Liverpool can now attract some of the biggest names in the game and Jurgen Klopp will be tempted to spend big and continue their dominance in Europe.
However, the academy has a number of exciting stars who can save the club millions in the transfer market. One such player Klopp is keen to hold on to is young Ryan Kent.
Playing for Scottish giants Rangers last season, Kent impressed Gerrard enough for the former Liverpool midfielder to try and sign him on loan again this summer but Klopp has rejected any such advances, claim reports from Express.
Kent spent five different stints on loan since joining Liverpool in 2015 but came into his own under Steven Gerrard at Rangers last season, where he was named PFA Scotland Young Player of the Year.
He registered six goals in 25 Premiership starts and was one of the best players in the league last season. It is understood that Leeds United are also interested in Kent but the Liverpool manager seems to have a role for him in the squad next season.
Can Kent Get His Chances?
It is possible that Klopp wants to see what Kent offers in the pre-season before shipping him out on another loan deal. The 22-year old was impressive in Liverpool’s first pre-season friendly against Tranmere Rovers, where he played a role in two of the six goals that Liverpool scored.
He started out wide but slowly drifted in, finding pockets of space in and around the box. He showed great confidence and willingness to put in the hard yards, which would have surely impressed Klopp.
However, if he is to stay, he is expected to be a backup for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane on the wings, which might be too huge a responsibility for him at such a tender age.
Jurgen Klopp is not one to hide his youngsters and is certain to give them chances if he sees fit. So, if Kent has impressed the manager enough, he certainly deserves a chance next season.
But for the European Champions, they will rarely have a better chance to sign star players and there is no reason for them to stick with youth and take a chance in the upcoming campaign as they go looking for the elusive Premier League title.
The likes of Kent and Harry Wilson have shown enough promise to warrant a place in this Liverpool squad and playing with the likes of Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Virgil van Dijk can only help such youngsters grow in stature.
But ideally, Liverpool will want a player who can push Salah and Mane for a place in the first team rather than players who will wait for their chances on the sidelines.
This is a headache most managers at top clubs have and it will be interesting to see how Klopp handles the futures of the many youngsters currently brimming with confidence at Anfield.
