KopTalk.com Forums Football Liverpool FC Forum Champions League Squad 2017/18

With the club 7/2 second-favorites to win the league and Chelsea 4/7, and the rest of the pack a best 15/2 (Man City), 9/1 (Arsenal) and 20/1 (Spurs and Man Utd), I hope you forgive me for believing that not only are we in a title tussle going into the new year, but the likeliest of the chasing pack to finish in a CL Spot.

With that in mind, just wondering for thoughts on the long-term wishes of Klopp for the squad, and the signings he'll be looking to make...

Mignolet and Karius are on long-term deals. Will we sign a replacement and sell one? Manninger's deal is up in May. Will Ward return and be third choice or are we looking at a young player/experienced player coming into the first-team?

Clyne is first-choice, though, without genuine competition. Alexander-Arnold is currently second-choice but will we bring in a competitive full-back? Wisdom is out on loan and struggling for games in Austria. Flanagan likely to get a chance?

Milner is first-choice at left back and has Moreno on the bench. Is Moreno dispensable to Klopp, or is this likely to continue into next season?

Liverpool have Matip, Lovren and Klavan, with Gomez returning to fitness too. Sakho and Ilori look likely to leave in the near future? Are we targeting one or two centre-halves when they leave? Given Lucas has been fourth choice, is the replacement number dependent on him also?

Can, Stewart, Henderson, Wijnaldum and Grujic provide our options in the two deeper midfield positions. Ejaria has featured also. Will we be looking to upgrade on any of these players? Could any of them leave?

Coutinho and Lallana generally play in the forward-most midfield position. Wijnaldum has done this on occasion. Should Klopp enter the market, does someone need to be able to play here? Is Markovic best suited to this position? Will he be sold?

Mane and Ojo currently cover the right wing position. Woodburn has had an opportunity also. Given the lack of experienced back-up, are we signing more than one player here?

Firmino is our only regular option on the left when we play a striker, with Lallana or Coutinho playing here on the alternate occasions. Does Firmino have competition? Is Allan capable to coming back from Germany and competing?

Up front, we have Origi, Sturridge and Ings, all of which have been displaced by Firmino on numerous occasions this year. Will Ings get injury-free? Will Sturridge be sold? Are we looking for players up top?


I'm intending this to be about Klopp's position, not necessarily your own. It should be about putting yourself in Klopps mindset and making judgements based on that. No doubt the team will have severe strengthening, but, that doesn't mean every player you don't like is likely to be sold by the end of the summer...

I can see a lot of changes next season but not much to the first team. Instead of looking to the bench and seeing Alex-Arnold/Stewart/woodburn/ejaria

Those players will be loaned out and we will probs sign players to compete with hendo wijnaldum etc.

Dahoud seems wanted. A striker will be brought in to replace Sturridge. Another centre back will be added. Matip looks amazing when he plays but he hardly does. Klavan was bought for back up. I don't think he was expecting to play so much.

Keepers are a difficult one. Neither will be happy in the bench. I can see karius being loaned out

Klopp doesn't seem like he signs players for the sake of it so I doubt we'll see many signings. The squad is big enough, we can only have a 25 man squad for the champions league and we already have that.

I expect any signings to be made to improve the first team rather than squad players. I expect Klopp to go for a goalkeeper and a left back, probably a centre back and maybe a striker if Sturridge leaves.

That's what I think he'll do. I'd like to see us sign a goalkeeper (Joe Hart) and a 20-30 goal a season striker as priorities. Milners been great at Left back so leave him there. Happy with a Lovre-Matip partnership at centre back and we have Klavan and Joe Gomez for cover.

I doubt we could get 10million for Sturridge with his injury woes, I see him seeing out his contract injured and going on a free, unless another club fancies paying his medical costs each season.

Haha I see what you did there mate!

I agree, we'd need more 1st teamers - upgrades for current players to drop to the bench.

I think he'll go for an experienced keeper as No.1 and hope Karius develops. Sell Migs.

Sakho's obviously done and Lucas surely won't be here, so another CB to partner Matip.

Then maybe a winger/striker. Ideally both but it depends who's sold. I'd keep DS but it seems likely Klopp will sell him if we get half-decent offers, so a top striker and competition for Mane needed.

Personally I'd go for a top midfielder too, but that feels greedy. Klopp might need to upgrade Can unless he improves but I think he'll keep it as is for now. Again, depending if anyone goes.