Liverpool FC are currently about a week away from playing matches with real-world consequences in them. The summer has felt both like it’s been a bit of a slog and gone by in a flash. With Crystal Palace waiting in the wings, the changing of the season feels truly in swing.
The club have already embarked on their big pre-season tour, concluding with a match against Yokohama in the twilight hours of the West on Saturday morning. They’ve also just released their new kit for the year, the first edition
marking the club’s return to Adidas after 12 years away. It’s been a long wait for football that counts, but it’s not like Liverpool have been away from the news.
Part of why the impending season feels to have come so suddenly is that the confluence of the the Club World Cup and the sheer number of transfers in have made even a decent period for introduction feel truncated. Even with Liverpool getting their business done early by signing Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Florian Wirtz at the top of the window and adding Hugo Ekitike last week, we’re looking at approximately a fortnight with as complete a first-choice unit under Arne Slot’s newly refreshed squad as possible.
We’re also talking about a club that’s lost two core members of last year’s title winning team in Trent Alexander-Arnold and Luis Diaz, to Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. In terms of more fringe players, the sales of Caoimhin Kelleher and Jarell Quansah mean that the club have lost depth and experience.
It also should go without saying but I will do so anyway: the loss and grief related to the passing of Diogo Jota is something that the entire club will have to navigate over the course of the season and beyond as the nature of grief isn’t static or linear.
The work for Arne Slot is deep. And if you’d believe the reports related to Newcastle star striker Alexander Isak along with the likes of Palace defender Marc Guehi as other personnel pieces the club would like to sew up before the transfer window closes, that work is very much ongoing.
We are in a season of change and upheaval. I, though, am incredibly excited for the ride. Bring on the season and bring on all challengers. The title holders are gearing up for a stern defense.
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