Liverpool transfer feels nailed on

Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk have signed new contracts with Liverpool as months of hard work for Richard Hughes paid off with the news fans were hoping for.

And with the Reds just two wins away from the Premier League title, the mood around Anfield is good right now.

But what next for Arne Slot's Liverpool? And what should be the priorities for Hughes and his recruitment team as they look to oversee the evolution of the side? Our fan jury have their say on the Reds' summer plans:

James Noble (Worcestershire, @james_noble98)

Confirmation of Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk’s new contracts – coupled with Sunday’s win over West Ham United taking us a step closer to the title – has given us further reason to be excited about the coming days, weeks, months and years.

The deals reinforce the foundations ahead of what looks set to be an important, and busy, summer. Good cases can be made for LFC recruiting a left-back, a centre-back, a multi-functional midfielder and a right-back.

If I was to pick out one ideal signing, though, it would be a centre forward. The function and effectiveness of that role, and those playing it, has been one of 2024/25’s more persistent questions. Recruiting well in that position may be the move that most notably heightens the Reds’ ceiling. Adding pace, presence and technical quality, particularly in attack, appear key requirements. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitiké – a youthful yet increasingly rounded forward – looks one excellent option.

In the now, beating Leicester City is the priority. While it would require Arsenal losing at Ipswich Town, we’ll wake up on Sunday knowing, for only the fifth time in 33 years, that this could be the day Liverpool win the Premier League. With the future looking bright, that is very much something to appreciate in the present.

Andrew Cullen (Widnes, @brothersred5)

‘We are going to win the Premier League’. Discuss. Surely, this essay question has only one answer now? We only need a maximum of two wins, 6 points, to reach the promised land.

Spirits are sky high after both Mo Salah and now Virgil Van Dijk have agreed two-year extensions. It certainly hasn’t felt like plain sailing over the last several weeks: many of us will not dare to celebrate until victory is mathematically certain.

Despite the imminent glory, many fans have been looking ahead to next season with a busy summer of transfers ahead. The squad will need rewiring and reworking in the summer, and it is hoped that FSG will provide the backing that Slot needs to keep Liverpool at the zenith of world football. As Virgil said himself in his spine-tingling Instagram post, ‘This chapter isn’t over. There’s more to give, more to fight for’.

But this is all about the now. Let’s focus on Leicester and Spurs, get those points and then enjoy the spoils of victory.

Rhys Buchanan (Aigburth, @Rhys_Buchanan)

It’s been such a positive couple of weeks with the contract situations around Salah and Van Dijk, but it’s been just as exciting to see how Slot has alluded to a big summer ahead, hinting at making Liverpool ‘very strong’ next season.

I think there will be an understanding amongst the LFC hierarchy that we’re going to need to strengthen across the pitch to further build upon this fantastic season. With the respective form of Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas recently, the likes of Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez feels like the first name nailed on to bring over the line.

I believe this one will only be helped by Richard Hughes links at Bournemouth and our very settled Hungarian number 8 in Dominik Szobozlai.

Overall, I’ve been really impressed with Kerkez every time I’ve watched The Cherries this year, and it’s no wonder he’s the name on a lot of lips when it comes to picking a team of the season.

Beyond that, if we could do a deal with Bournemouth similar to that of Brighton in recent years, with more senior players in the LFC ranks heading south, I wouldn’t be averse to giving the likes of Semenyo a chance on the biggest stage, a very exciting player who could be of vital pedigree when it comes to big cup games at home and in Europe.

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