ECHO sports writers assess what the next 12 months may hold for Liverpool.
After a rollercoaster 2022, 2023 looks set to one of the most important years in Jurgen Klopp’s reign as Liverpool manager.
Having been denied what would have been an historic quadruple after missing out on the Premier League and Champions League to Manchester City and Real Madrid respectively, the Reds have somewhat different ambitions now following a disappointing start to the current campaign.
They find themselves locked in a battle to finish in the top four, having lost ground early on in the season, and defeat to Brentford on Monday evening leaves them off the pace.
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Off the field, the club’s owners FSG have left themselves open to investment and future takeover proposals, while the battle for Jude Bellingham appears certain to be determined this summer.
Our ECHO sports writers have looked into their crystal balls to see what the future holds for Liverpool…
Failure to qualify for next season’s Champions League could have disastrous long-term consequences for Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool. Given how much the club depends on the finances that come from being in Europe’s premier competition, a campaign that ends without their participation in next term’s tournament will hugely impact both the size of the transfer kitty and Fenway Sports Group’s wider efforts to either attract significant external investment or buyers for an outright sale.
That, then, must be the priority on the pitch. The arrival of a new midfielder will undoubtedly aid on that front and while Klopp has been keen to play down those hopes after spending around £40m on Cody Gakpo, the Reds will continue to quietly assess what is out there before the end of this month. It could yet make all the difference.
Off the pitch, one prediction is that FSG might reach an acceptable resolution in their efforts to inject some more capital into the football club. There’s an acceptance that they cannot regularly compete with the transfer kitties of clubs such as Manchester City and now Newcastle but finding investment – whether through a partner or a full sale – will help Liverpool’s long-term quest of reaching the top of the English game once more.
With Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs employed to see what is out there, the potential at Anfield and the fact that one of world football’s blue riband clubs is essentially on the market, it would be logical to conclude that FSG can achieve their aims this calendar year. We shall see.
Elsewhere off the pitch, the recruitment of a new sporting director could be pivotal at Anfield. Michael Edwards has become something of a legendary figure for his work in the role and Julian Ward’s impressive performance in his brief tenure to date highlights the importance of having a top-class operator in the position. The decisive move for Cody Gakpo over three days of intense talks with PSV is proof enough of that. Klopp will take the lead on that later this year and it is an appointment the Reds must get right.
On the pitch, I’m backing Gakpo to settle quickly into life at Anfield and there’s still major parts to play for both Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota, despite their respective injury troubles.
Ian Doyle
The ball of crystal shall now be gazed upon. And what will Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool ideally be seeking during 2023?
In terms of on-field ambition, there’s only one that matters now – Champions League qualification. The Reds have finished in the top four in every one of Klopp’s previous six full seasons in charge and, given the financial implications of missing out as well as damage to the reputation of the squad, it must be achieved once again.
There’s no real reason why it shouldn’t be, either. Liverpool are a lot better than they have been showing.
Of course, winning the Champions League itself is a route back into the competition, but after three finals in five seasons, it seems unlikely Klopp’s side can do it again. Any sort of run in the FA Cup would also be a bonus.
Transfers and player contracts will dominate the chatter, and it’s obvious there will be plenty of business, particularly in midfield with three players out of contract. James Milner should be kept on if he wants, while I’d be keen to see Roberto Firmino stay.
Any further arrivals after Cody Gakpo this month seems very unlikely if not completely impossible, so summer is the key time. Two new midfielders – and energetic, young ones at that – are imperative, and Liverpool would ideally have Jude Bellingham as one of them.
What you make of the ownership issue depends entirely on whether you are #FSGin or #FSGout, which does seem to depend somewhat on how regular your matchday visits are to watch Liverpool and your distance from the Merseyside area.
Both sides, though, will surely be in agreement that more investment is now needed to help the Reds compete with moneybags Manchester City and Newcastle United, and that’s before even taking into account the new riches at Chelsea and the possible changing of the guard at Manchester United.
It would be a surprise if the status quo is maintained throughout 2023, and while some want FSG gone, the more likely outcome – and one that perhaps offer greater stability – is some significant outside investment.
In terms of infrastructure, the aim remains for the new Anfield Road End to be fully operational for the start of next season and bump the capacity in excess of 60,000, meaning not only more money in the coffers but also a louder atmosphere.
So, plenty to be getting on with, then. On a personal note, it would also be nice if Liverpool pressed hard for the removal of the Premier League anthem. I hate it. Sorry.
Sean Bradbury
For starters in 2023, I predict a midfield signing this month. Aurelien Tchouameni was clearly wanted in the last window, so the money and desire to strengthen must still be there given he ended up at Real Madrid.
This is a strange season already given it has just paused for the World Cup. So my hunch is that Jurgen Klopp and co opt to compromise somewhat on potential targets – and bring in someone who can provide energy and industry for the second half of the campaign. It has become essential now, with the Brentford and Leicester games showing why.
Names are hard to predict, especially when deals like Cody Gakpo come out of the blue. But a similar profile to Sofyan Amrabat or Moises Caicedo would be very handy.
Staying on transfers, I’d anticipate a serious go for Jude Bellingham in summer. It’s an open secret that the Reds want him, with several other sides seemingly in the same boat. Hopefully Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold’s grafting in Qatar – and a climb up the table in the months to come – can help the cause.
If all the above is successful, then the main elements of a squad overhaul will be complete. I reckon Roberto Firmino will stick around too and pen a new deal. Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain look set to depart, and I can still see James Milner fancying a stint at Leeds for his swansong.
On the pitch, I reckon Gakpo can help Liverpool surge in a similar way to Diaz last term. Madrid may prove too much in the Champions League – but a top four spot (let’s say third, narrowly) and a domestic trophy will get things back on track.
More minutes and exciting cameos for Stefan Bajcetic and Ben Doak look likely too, especially if there are kind draws and progress in the cups.
Which just leaves a possible FSG sale. That is the trickiest puzzle of all to call. This may be a little naive – but given the American owners still have plenty of other sporting interests and therefore a reputation to uphold, perhaps things will pan out in a more palatable way than Liverpool becoming a state project with all the issues that would bring.
Rich Garnett
If football is a game of two halves then so was 2022. At one point in May, Liverpool were stood on the brink of history with an unprecedented treble in sight. By the end of October, they appeared to be ushering in a new era of mediocrity. Quite a contrast.
Nevertheless, despite undertaking a Premier League campaign that can at best be described as ‘underwhelming’, the Reds currently sit four points outside the top four. It looked a lot worse at one point.
Being eight points behind Manchester City at this stage of the season is sometimes not a bad thing, but unfortunately being 15 behind Arsenal is, so you can kiss goodbye to a 20th league title in 2023 I would suggest.
That makes Champions League qualification the priority and that is going to be a real task given the rising challenge of the Gunners and Newcastle United. Liverpool’s midfield is not really functioning well enough to be confident that they will simply continue to climb up the table in the second half of the season, but the arrival of Cody Gapko should bring more goals and unless another midfielder of notable quality comes through the door this month, the Reds will continue to travel through this campaign by the seat of their pants.
Liverpool face a reunion with Real Madrid in the Champions League – a tie that could either end their European interest there and then or put them on a glorious path to another final. It’s one that is almost impossible to call.
Out of the Carabao Cup, a successful defence of the FA Cup will probably rely on a favourable draw, as Jurgen Klopp rotates his squad in order to prioritise the all-important Champions League qualification.
You can’t blame him. If Liverpool are to land Jude Bellingham in the summer, plus any other big name, then they need to be in Europe’s elite competition again next season. That will likely hold the key to how successful the second half of 2023 is for the Reds, but while all of these factors play out, the one to watch with interest is rising star Ben Doak. The teenager has not looked out of his depth in his early first-team cameos and he could even save the club money if he can replicate his youth football performances in the top flight.
Mark Wakefield
It feels like 2023 is a big year for Liverpool. Those words have probably been uttered every year for the last two decades or more, but this time it feels really apt.
In the recent past, Liverpool’s place in the Premier League’s top four has been seemingly a certainty, unless you include the 2020/21 season. But in the Jurgen Klopp era, qualifying for the Champions League hasn’t been too much of a problem.
This year could be different, though, Arsenal’s form and the added threat of Newcastle mean the race to finish in the top four is much more difficult than it once was. The January transfer window is the first place to start for a busy 2023.
For starters, at least one new midfielder needs to arrive at the club before February dawns on us all. Klopp has said he has faith in his players, but even he must realise that there is a gaping void of reliability as well as quality in the midfield area of his squad.
We all know Jude Bellingham is of interest, but that is likely to have to wait until the summer, if it happens at all. January must see Liverpool sign at least one midfielder to compete with Fabinho in the defensive role and rotate with Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson.
On the pitch, if Liverpool can sign at least one midfielder in January then I’d fancy them to go close to finishing in the top four. But that’s also dependent on the team performing consistently well for the rest of the season, which wasn’t the case in the first half of the campaign.
If Liverpool finish in the top four then the summer presents itself with a greater likelihood of Bellingham arriving and potential further additions. And then you fancy the Reds to go on and compete for the Premier League title next season.
Alternatively, if the Reds find themselves in the Europa League or even European Conference League, the task of attracting Bellingham to the club could be harder. And as a result, could significantly affect the club’s ability to attract the next generation of stars.
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