The forthcoming 2020-21 season would be much anticipated by a large majority of the Liverpool FC supporters worldwide. After the Anfield giant’s 30-year wait for Premier League glory came to an end this past season, it was evident that Jurgen Klopp had turned the Merseyside club into a world-class side with the Reds playing a superb style of football on the pitch and breaking many records in the process.
Klopp’s men came very near to having an undefeated league campaign under their belt, however, a shock defeat on their travel to Watford earlier this year coupled with an indifferent run of form post the lockdown period meant that the Arsenal side of 2003-04 remained the only ‘Invincibles’ in the Premier League era.
But it is understood that the Liverpool FC boss along with his players at the club would be hoping to achieve a historic treble this coming season, a possible first in the Reds’ famed history. Winning a combination of the Premier League title, FA Cup, along with the UEFA Champions League would never be a straightforward task for the Merseyside Red considering the extent of competition that the club would face in each of the tournaments.
Moreover, perhaps most importantly, Liverpool FC will aim to defend their league-title crown come next season. Having finally got their hands on the coveted title, Jordan Henderson and his teammates will be in no mood to let go of it anytime soon.
Also, there is the added incentive of matching Manchester United’s record of 19 league titles in the event of the Reds successfully defending their Premier League title in the upcoming league campaign that gets underway on 12th September.
Let us take a look at three issues of paramount importance Jurgen Klopp will be hoping to straighten out ahead of the start of the 2020-21 season:
3. Lack of quality at centre-back following Dejan Lovren’s exit
The 31-year old Lovren departed for Zenit this summer after his limited first-team involvement for the Reds over the past couple of years. Despite the Croatian being far down the pecking order at Anfield, he was an experienced member of the club’s squad.
With Lovren’s retreat, only Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Joel Matip remain at Klopp’s disposal as first-choice centre-back options. The latter, despite being a solid presence at the heart of the defence, is infamous for his injury-plagued career.
The Reds manager will be on the lookout for worthy central defenders in the transfer market ahead of next season. With Liverpool FC competing in as many as five competitions over the course of the next year, there is a need for significant squad depth at the club.
Names such as Aissa Mandi and Ben White continue to be linked with a move to Anfield this summer. Signing either of the two would be a big step towards bolstering the defensive core of the Liverpool FC side.
2. Thiago Alcantara’s transfer situation and how the Spaniard fits into Klopp’s plans
Rumours suggesting that the Bayern Munich star is on his way to Liverpool FC have on the rise since a couple of months. It is understood that the 29-year old Thiago is very keen on joining the Reds this summer after failing to extend his current deal with the German giants.
The Spanish international is truly a midfield maestro in every aspect. His dribbling ability, vision on the pitch, and his nifty passes are second to none in world football. Moreover, Liverpool FC does lack the creative power in midfield that Thiago’s potential arrival at Anfield could solve.
However, there is a confusion among the Reds faithful as to how the Bayern midfielder would slot into Klopp’s playing XI next season. Surely the Liverpool FC boss would not be wanting to shell out £30 million to sign a player of Thiago’s calibre as a squad-rotation option for the Anfield outfit.
Moreover, the formalities surrounding the 29-year old’s anticipated move to Liverpool FC need to be sorted out quickly by Klopp. The German would hate to see other suitors enter the race to sign the Bayern star ahead of next season if the Reds delay an approach for the player.
1. Future of returning loanees/ fringe players
Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic, and Loris Karius all return to Anfield after spending the 2019-20 season on loan away from the club. Klopp would need to make a firm decision regarding what lies ahead for the aforementioned trio at Liverpool FC.
In the event of a possible sale of the three players, ample funds would be raised at Klopp’s disposal for the current transfer window. The presence of more capable and experienced options at Anfield makes it hard for the pair of Wilson and Grujic to make a foray into the first-team squad.
Moreover, Divock Origi and Xherdan Shaqiri’s future in the Liverpool FC shirt too remains a source of intense speculation. The attacking duo featured sporadically for Klopp’s side across the last league campaign, with the former making just six appearances all season.
Solving the above-mentioned issues at hand would result in a much stronger and raring to go Reds squad under Klopp’s charge in the 2020-21 campaign that is edging closer. There is no doubt that the Liverpool FC side are indeed one of the strongest teams in the world on their day and a potential treble would not be a farfetched dream for Klopp’s men.
