Liverpool

BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has offered up his annual predictions:

1) Liverpool

Last season: Champions

It's hard to see past Liverpool as this season's Premier League champions.

This is a team that won the title at a 10-point canter last term and has been strengthened by a remarkable summer spending spree. The transition is still a work in progress, as the Community Shield loss to Crystal Palace proved, but this a prediction made with complete confidence.

What should have been a summer of joy has lived under the shadow of the tragic death of beloved striker Diogo Jota - killed in a car crash - as well as the incident that left supporters injured at the title trophy parade.

The season will start without the departed Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez, but Florian Wirtz was a statement signing - one of Europe's most coveted forwards - at £116m from Bayer Leverkusen, along with full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. New striker Hugo Ekitike, signed for an initial £69m from Eintracht Frankfurt, showed his class with a goal in the Community Shield.

Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi is the latest target, and Newcastle United's Alexander Isak may yet arrive - a frightening prospect for anyone wanting to take Liverpool's title away.

Read the full piece

Katie Stafford
BBC Sport journalist

Liverpool boss Arne Slot has been speaking to the media before Friday's first Premier League game of the season against Bournemouth at Anfield (kick-off 20:00 BST).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

• Ryan Gravenberch is suspended for the opener after picking up a red card in the final game of the 2024-25 season.

• There is "a possibility" Joe Gomez, who missed the Community Shield final, could be available but he has only trained twice in pre-season because of injury.

• On Liverpool's pursuit of Parma defender Giovanni Leoni: "The clubs have agreed a deal but he hasn't signed for us yet. The moment he has I can go into more detail."

• Slot said Reds "are definitely ready for the league to start" but they can "still improve" as there has been a high turnaround of players this summer. He thinks they are still adapting.

• On how his squad are shaping up: "The quality we bring when on the ball, I am very happy with that. Without the ball, eight out of 10 times it is very good but the aim at this club is to be 10 out of 10. That is the fine tuning we still need to find defensively."

• He said "there are reasons" behind certain issues in defence during pre-season but insists that tomorrow evening "there are no excuses."

• On their opponents: "Last season, they were the most intense team in the league in terms of running and playing style. They made it really difficult for us. It will be a challenge for us."

• In response to whether his side can win back-to-back Premier League titles: "The reason why it is so difficult is because there are so many competitors that can win the league. To win it once is special. This year will be even harder because every team has brought in new players."

• He said Florian Wirtz's adjustment to English football "has already gone quite well, more than we expected" and that is because of his experience at club and international level despite only being 22 years old.

• Slot added: "Good players always find a way to play well in good teams."

Follow all of Thursday's Premier League news conferences and the rest of the day's football news

Karan Vinod
BBC Sport journalist

Image source, Getty Images

Parma's teenage centre-back Giovanni Leoni has emerged as one of Serie A's most intriguing defensive prospects - and it is no surprise that Liverpool are closing in on a deal for the 18-year-old.

Last season, Leoni enjoyed a breakthrough campaign, earning plaudits for his composure in possession and ability to read the game. But a closer look at the data from fbref.com via Opta, compared with other defenders in Italy's top flight, paints a fuller picture of where he stands.

A percentile shows how a player compares to others in the same position. For example, being in the 80th percentile for a stat means they perform better than 80% of their peers in that area.

One facet where he ranks very highly is winning aerial duels. Here he ranks in the 93rd percentile, meaning he very rarely loses them, albeit perhaps Serie A is not at the physicality of the Premier League.

The chart below shows he has also performed strongly in metrics such as clearances and passes blocked, perhaps an indication of his alertness and positional awareness.

The centre-back averages 4.73 clearances per 90 minutes. However, these numbers are affected by the fact Parma do not dominate the ball so their defence is required to work harder as a result.

Leoni's pass completion sits at the 61st percentile which suggests he is comfortable retaining possession, but can be inaccurate when distributing from the back. In Arne Slot's system, where centre-backs are often tasked with initiating attacks under pressure, refining that consistency could be a key part of his development.

His figures for challenges lost are also notable. This points to a player still developing his strength and reading of one-on-one situations. It may also reflect the fact that, as a young defender, he is still learning when to commit and when to hold his position.

For now, the statistics tell the story of a player on the rise, and if the move is completed, Anfield could be the stage on which he fulfils his potential.

Image source, Getty Images

BBC Sport's TV and radio commentators have picked a Liverpool player who will be worth watching out for in the next few months. Let's find out who he is.

Rio Ngumoha

Age: 16 Position: Winger Country: England

Steve Bower: A few people within academy football told me about Rio Ngumoha over a year ago - tales of Chelsea's anger at losing the teenager, and a big gain for Liverpool.

Arne Slot's positive approach was immediate in involving him in first-team training, and then we saw him become the youngest player to start a game for the club in January in the FA Cup.

He's not 17 until the end of August, but I know internally there's huge excitement about him, and his goals in pre-season have heightened this.

Sometimes a young player sees an opportunity and, with Luis Diaz's departure, Ngumoha looks set to be in the first-team group throughout the season.

Conor McNamara: Back in January, I commentated for Match of the Day when Ngumoha became the youngest player to start a match for Liverpool - aged 16 years and 135 days old - in the 4-0 win over Accrington in the FA Cup.

To make us all feel old, the song that was number one in the charts the day he was born was Katy Perry's 'I Kissed A Girl'!

At the time, he was so unknown that I needed Slot to help me pronounce his name correctly.

But that FA Cup appearance was his only first-team game, and he never made the bench for a Premier League match through to the end of the campaign.

His form this pre-season suggests that should change this term.

He is still very young, and we know that competition for places will be severe at Anfield, but Ngumoha has a spark about him.

Read the full piece

Image source, Getty Images

"The reason Mohamed Salah is where he is now is because he works on his mental strength daily," says former Tottenham and Egypt striker Mido.

"He is the greatest ambassador for Egypt and for African players as well. He made European clubs respect Arab players.

"I think a lot of European clubs now, when they see a young player from Egypt, they think of Salah. He has made our young players dream."

Egypt's first global football superstar has won every domestic honour as well as the Champions League with the Reds, but has yet to taste success with his country.

With the Africa Cup of Nations in December and the 2026 World Cup on the horizon, BBC Sport visited Egypt to discover what Salah means to the people of the football-mad country of 115 million, and how a small boy from humble beginnings became a national icon.

Read all about Salah's origins

Have you got a question about Liverpool or is there a topic you want more information on? Have you spotted a Reds theme or trend that needs further investigation?

Well, this season we're making it easier for you to get in touch and ask - and we will do our best to use our expertise here at BBC Sport to give you direct answers.

Our team can call upon a network of contacts - including our reporters, pundits and other experts - to find out everything you need to know.

No question is too big or too small, so fire away using the link below and we will answer the best of them throughout the campaign.

Ask about Liverpool here

And find out more about BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything service here

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We asked for your views on Liverpool's centre back targets, with moves for Marc Guehi and Giovanni Leoni in the works.

Here are some of your comments:

David: Sign both - we are light in defence and it is an opportunity to sell a couple to refresh. However, it does pose the question that so many new faces take time to blend and settle, which may make the Premier League title a step too far.

Marc: They should sign both of them. You're only as strong as your weakest link and at centre-back there's a weakness. Virgil van Dijk will not go on forever, and Konate and Gomez are injury prone. Konate is also threatening to run down his contract, so both options mentioned are very much needed and would strengthen the squad.

Pam: Guehi would be a great signing for £35m. I would say he has huge potential to take over from Van Dijk when he finishes.

Steven: If it were a choice between Isak and Guehi... definitely Guehi. Another solid defender is a must for Liverpool and the fact he is a captain of his team proves his calibre.

Brent: It is blatantly obvious from pre-season that Liverpool are desperately short in the centre-half position, and the signing of Guehi from Palace should go full steam ahead. Gomez is injury prone, Van Djik is off the pace at present and Konate is less than inspiring at times. Liverpool should prioritise the signing of a centre-back immediately.

Sami Mokbel
Senior football correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

Ultimately for Marc Guehi, it is Liverpool or nothing this summer.

That is not an ideal scenario for Crystal Palace, who were hoping for an auction. But the alternative is losing him for nothing next summer - when he may end up joining the Reds on a free transfer anyway.

While Palace ideally want £40m for Guehi, it may be that they get a deal worth about £35m plus add-ons.

The south London club have reluctantly engaged in talks to sell their captain and if all goes to plan, an agreement should follow in the coming days.

Palace chairman Steve Parish will sanction Guehi's sale through gritted teeth.

He would like the defender to stay and sign a new deal, but the likelihood of that is virtually non-existent.

Selling to Liverpool - or losing Guehi for nothing - now appear to be Palace's only options.

Could it be two in for Liverpool?

Image source, Getty Images

Meanwhile, Liverpool are also trying to sign 18-year-old Parma centre-back Giovanni Leoni.

The Italy Under-19 international is not seen as a potential rival for Guehi but more as one for the future.

He began his career at Padova and had a short spell at Sampdoria before joining Parma last summer.

So what do you think? Would Guehi be a good signing for Liverpool at about £35m? And what about Leoni? Should it be a case of one or the other - or both? Or would you prefer someone different?

Get in touch with your views here

Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Image source, Getty Images

Only 36% of teams who are top at the end of September win the title - including Liverpool last season.

So how much does a good start indicate who will win the league?

The record amount of points after 10 games is 28 (nine wins and a draw). All those four teams - Manchester City (2011-12 and 2017-18), Chelsea (2005-06) and Liverpool (2019-20) went on to win the title.

But the two teams who had the next best starts, with 27 points - Newcastle (1995-96) and Arsenal (2022-23) - failed to convert it into silverware after infamous collapses.

Newcastle were top after 10 games in three consecutive seasons and did not win the title in any of them.

There are plenty of examples of teams picking up 26 points in their opening 10 games and not going on to win the title.

That includes Tottenham, who had a stunning start to life under Ange Postecoglou in 2023-24 before eventually finishing fifth.

However, seven teams have not even been on 20 points after 10 games and still won the title.

Manchester City came back to win the title by a clear 12 points in 2020-21. They were sixth, sitting on 18 points and three points off top, after 10 games.

That was the first of City's four titles in a row - and they were not top after 10 games in any of them.

Liverpool have no intention of selling defender Ibrahima Konate in this transfer window, despite working on moves for two centre-backs to strengthen their squad. (Mail - subscription required), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Wednesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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Jamie Carragher has warned Liverpool that "spending lots of money" won't guarantee them the Premier League title after the Reds won the trophy with four matches to spare last season.

Arne Slot has so far recruited five senior players this summer in Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Hugo Ekitike, Jeremie Frimpong and Armin Pecsi and it is looking increasingly likely that Newcastle's Alexander Isak could join.

The Reds are also pursuing Crystal Palace central defender Marc Guehi but Liverpool legend Carragher believes any success comes down to balance over spending.

"I don't get this narrative that Liverpool are going to run away with it," Carragher said.

"If you look at history, it could tell you that it's not just about having the best players, it's about having the best team, and sort of making that balance right, and at the weekend [in the Community Shield] it didn't quite look right.

"I think we will have a title race, and I think there's a lot of talk. I think the great thing about football is what we actually saw on Sunday with Liverpool. It didn't look right. It tells me it's not just about spending lots of money and buying the best players, you've still got to manage that team and make it work and have a nice balance to it."

Jordan Chamberlain
Fan writer

Image source, Getty Images

I'm hoping that Liverpool win either the Premier League and Champions League, or potentially both. This sounds brash, but I've never entered a season with as much hope.

It's a strange feeling. Even with Jurgen Klopp's best teams, we were still second favourites behind Pep Guardiola's Manchester City.

But Arne Slot's Reds are the heavy favourites for the Premier League and second behind Paris St-Germain for the big European honour. I guess that's what happens when you sign the best attacking midfielder on the planet in Florian Wirtz and two potentially world-class full-backs in Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

Hugo Ekitike is an upgrade on Darwin Nunez, but the real excitement is about the potential Alexander Isak signing. I still think that by the end of August he will be a Liverpool player.

Mo Salah, the best player in the country last season, teaming up with Wirtz to feed the most electric striker on the planet? And all this supported by a spine of Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai? It is a potentially all-time team.

The only worry is that Liverpool have made too many changes from a side that won the title. And with these changes comes huge expectation, pressure and media coverage.

One defeat early on and the narratives will begin, so Liverpool's new players, most of whom are young, will have to deal with this.

Slot is so tactically astute and grounded though that there is no other manager I would prefer to mount this challenge. Bring it on!

Find more from Jordan Chamberlain at Empire of the Kop, external

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Football journalist Rory Smith says judging Liverpool's performance this season is "delicate" following the death of Diogo Jota.

"I don't know what will happen with Liverpool this season," said The Observer's football correspondent Rory Smith on BBC Radio 5 Live's Monday Night Club.

"I think they are the most unpredictable club in the Premier League.

"Their pre-season was delayed and they are a club and squad in mourning. That is going to be a real test for them on a personal and human level.

"We are going to have to get used to judging Liverpool, for some time, not just on a sporting level, but as a club who are grieving for someone they have lost.

"I think that is really important to remember.

"The club are doing all they can to memorialise Jota as he is clearly in their thoughts as an institution, but for the players they have to deal with the absence of their friend and the presence of his absence.

"It's not a football story, it's human loss."

Watch the full episode on BBC iPlayer or listen on BBC Sounds

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There are two sides to every story and we haven't heard from Alexander Isak yet, or anyone inside the Newcastle United striker's camp, other than him saying he wants to explore his options.

We don't know when he told the club that, how he told them, or what his feelings are about exactly why he wants out. What we do know is that Liverpool have offered £110m for him.

In recent years we have seen Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice and Jack Grealish go for about £100m so, if that is the bar, they are never going to get Isak - a 25-year-old striker who has scored 44 Premier League goals across the past two seasons - for £110m.

I don't think you'd get Dan Burn for that, to be honest.

Newcastle have named their price, which is nearer to £150m, so we will have to see what Liverpool do next.

The top and bottom of it is that if Newcastle don't get the money they want, or the two strikers they need, then Isak stays.

Read more from Shearer here

Chelsea have lodged a £43m offer for Liverpool centre-back Ibrahima Konate. (Defensa Central - in Spanish), external

Meanwhile, Alexander Isak will only consider reintegrating at Newcastle or signing a new deal if Liverpool directly inform the 25-year-old Sweden striker a deal is impossible this summer. (Givemesport), external

Want more transfer stories? Read Tuesday's full gossip column

Follow the gossip column on BBC Sport

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We asked for your views on whether Liverpool are ready for the new season.

Here's what you said:

Paul: There are going to be bumps in the road as the new recruits settle in and the existing squad develop and adapt to the different skills (and weaknesses) the new players bring. Hopefully we can polish out the blemishes and create a new jewel of a squad (emphasis on squad). We have learned a lot pre-season - now let's get the polish out!

Fraser: Almost ready. Players still need a bit of time to gel together and get used to playing with each other. The defence weren't quite on the same wavelength against Crystal Palace so that needs to be ironed out. Plus, we still need a centre-forward (hopefully Isak), a centre-back and maybe a winger. Once we have those sorted and get those players in, then we are good to go.

Ryan: My concern is how we keep being linked with attackers (which I'm not totally sure we need), yet nothing concrete about any defensive reinforcements. If we don't improve at the back, we can kiss our title defence goodbye. We 100% need a centre-back. Wing/full-backs and goalkeeper are covered, but we have looked so exposed at the back in pre-season and against Palace. All well and good being an attacking force, but totally redundant if you ship goals in at the other end. Sounds negative but my word I'm excited about the new season!

Oliver: Liverpool showed flashes of brilliance during the Community Shield, with all the new signings having a positive first 'competitive' outing, especially Wirtz who looked like he's been in the team for years. However, just like last season, we still look poorer for not having Gravenberch as the rock in the midfield and Mac Allister dictating the pace through the number eight position. Another centre-back, such as Guehi, is definitely needed for that extra cover as Konate can't be relied upon to have a whole year without injury. On the whole, very positive signs for the season with some small areas we can still improve on!

Callum: I think the first team are ready but the back-ups are not. More specifically, we don't have a good striker to replace Ekitike - that was obvious from the Palace game. A striker for the bench is needed.

John: It is clear we need to tighten up the clear gap in defence. Equally, we need to more clearly determine the role that Salah has in the attacking line-up. From a psychological point of view, he must feel the challenge of the arrival of the new members of the team. If his role is not sorted then he might as well have been sold.