Liverpool will not play in the Champions League for the first time in six seasons after finishing a disappointing fifth at the end of 2022-23. Instead, they will be competing in the Europa League next term.
The Reds fell to their lowest Premier League finish in Jurgen Klopp’s seven full seasons at Anfield. Although they went on a seven-game winning run and pushed both Man United and Newcastle United in the race for Champions League qualification, it ultimately proved too little, too late.
After going trophyless, the ongoing summer transfer window promises to be a decisive one for Liverpool as Klopp’s side look to bulldoze their way back into the Champions League. On that note, here are three Liverpool to look forward to in the 2023-24 season.
- Alexis Mac Allister
Such a pivotal summer has started in a promising fashion for Liverpool as Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning midfielder Alexis Mac Allister was signed from Brighton last week.
Mac Allister has come in at Liverpool at the perfect age of 24 and the right amount of experience in the Premier League to begin their midfield revamp. With 10 goals and two assists in 35 league games, he played a key role in Brighton’s qualification for the Europa League.
The Argentinean’s creativity and game intelligence, combined with his ability to play in various midfield roles, gives Klopp the kind of player who can dictate the tempo of games for the Reds. At a new club and environment where the pressure is a lot higher as compared to Brighton, how Mac Allister adapts to Klopp’s system will be interesting to watch.
- Darwin Nunez
Darwin Nunez arrived at Liverpool from Benfica amidst a lot of fanfare for a club-record £85 million last summer. He enjoyed a mixed debut campaign in England, scoring 15 goals in all competitions as the Uruguayan international showed flashes of undisputable ability.
The 23-year-old missed a glut of chances in front of goal throughout his debut season with Liverpool, but he was always causing problems for the opposition with his pace, pressing, intensity and work rate.
Judging by this season and the money Liverpool splashed on him, Nunez will have some task on his hands next season as he scored just nine league goals in 29 appearances. There is a case for Liverpool fans to be optimistic about the Uruguayan, who can be a devastating force and potentially form a deadly front three with Salah and Gakpo after fully adapting to the demands of Premier League football.
- Trent Alexander-Arnold
After a topsy-turvy 2022/23 that saw him criticised more often than he has been praised, Alexander-Arnold turned things around at the fag end of the campaign.
Jurgen Klopp’s decision to turn the England international into an inverted full-back certainly worked for him and Liverpool as a whole, as they went 10 games unbeaten—winning seven and drawing three. In his hybrid midfield role, Alexander-Arnold again demonstrated why he is such a top technician on the ball, delivering sublime ball after ball to his teammates, picking up assists and scoring goals.
Only time will tell whether or not using the 24-year-old in an inverted full-back role is sustainable, but Klopp may well have found a ticket to mask Alexander-Arnold’s defensive frailties.