If the secret of the success of Arne Slot in his first Premier League season was evolution from the Jurgen Klopp era, then a revolution in Liverpool seems to be the plan for the title defense.
With Canny changes, smart in-game changes and an incredible individual Mohamed Salah campaign, the expectations with Liverpool's Premier League triumph exceeded.
That makes this summer all the intriguing.
There is a saying that you have to strengthen when you are in front. Do not admire the view from the top of the mountain, start planning immediately how you can climb it again – and how you can do better next time.
But there are few Premier League champions reformed to go again as this Liverpool side has. Until now, almost £ 300 million has been spent at the window.
A potential British transfer record spending on Florian Wirtz is the head of the window and he will play a leading role in the attack. But Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez will change Liverpool's approach wide.
There will be knockout effects for the center of defense, the role of Ryan Gravenberch in the positioning of midfield and Mohamed Salah. Hugo Ekitike has the potential to knit it all together.
Although there was an acceptance at Anfield, the champions from 2024/25 needed a renewal, Slot's season two will see a big shift.
High and wide with Kerkez and Frimpong
The exit of Trent Alexander-Arnold has yielded the change. While on the left, Kerkez looks like the heir of Robertson, who is reminiscent of the flying scotsman in his splendor, bombing up and down that flank, overlapping, undersonization, cutting and crossing, Frimpong is a completely different player than Alexander-Arnold.
Firstly, Frimpong played in a position other than Alexander-Arnold while he was in Bayer Leverkusen, on the task as a right wing to get into the danger zone. While Alexander-Arnold Van Diep in Anfield supplied, Frimpong was almost the right wing player for Xabi Alonso and his team took the field with his runs of the ball or through his dribbling with it.
Alexander-Arnold delivers the ball in the box, Frimpong delivers in the box.
Expect that Kerkez and Frimpong are high and wide when Liverpool attacks.
Broad attackers come in
With Kerkez and Frimpong who shoot in those positions, there will be the chance for Wirtz, from the left, and Salah from the right, to step in on their stronger foot and to strive for goal or to choose a casual passing pass.
It is a trademark of Salah, but a Wirtz has also caused considerable damage while he was at Leverkusen.
Wirtz's range of skills – the top dribbler in the Bundesliga registered double digits for goals and assists, but also led the way for high sales – makes him an option in different positions. But a roaming role of the left was Alonso's vision of him and could be the plan of Slot, with the future of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo uncertain.
Salah was the Premier League player of the year and the best scorer previous term, but as the age of 33 is, this is a team that now seems to be set up to improve his target threat to the working speed. There were already signs of that shift last season, in which Salah revealed that Slot had unveiled him of many defensive tasks. It is a theme that can continue now.
Ekitike connects it together
The tragic death of Diogo Jota will be in the minds of people when the central attackers of Liverpool are discussed next season. The Portuguese attacker played 37 times in all matches last year.
Ekitike is added to Liverpool van Eintracht Frankfurt and his versions to the Bundesliga, suggest that he has the attributes to link the new look Liverpool when they continue.
He is 6ft 3 in but more than just a goalkeeper. The movement of Ekitike should like to run the channels or fall to midfield to build up attacks, the movement of Ekitike could offer Wirtz and Salah opportunities to walk behind him and take advantage of the space he creates.
Lock will be that he can sometimes combine that teamwork with the selfishness of a striker and build on his career-best 15 league goals last season. The best shot tower of the Bundesliga in 2024/25 will bear a lot of its own threat.
How midfield can help the defense out of possession
All those attacking ideas must be supplemented with a smart midfield movement behind.
Gravenberch fell back between the center backs to make a three in the first phase of Liverpool's build-up game, was sometimes spotted last season, while the Dutchman sometimes also encountered gaps in the right-back area.
He will probably have to do the same next season, while Liverpool has to lean on the ability of Ibrahima Konate to ensure the right channel and the experience of Virgil van Dijk to all these moving pieces.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai will also play an important role, whether they are used as two NO8's for Gravenberch or that one of them falls past a double pivot. The others will then be charged with connecting and going beyond Ekitike as a dynamic NO10.
Conor Bradley and Curtis Jones belong to a team of players who will also itch to make their own roles. With Liverpool who wants to compete on several fronts, they get their chances. And further signing sessions can add extra layers to the game plan of Slot.
But one thing is clear: this Liverpool will look much different than last year's.