The 2025-26 season is nearly at its end and for Liverpool, things haven’t gone as anyone would have hoped, planned, or expected. Arne Slot’s disappointing Reds are heading into the final weekend of the season sat fifth and with Champions League qualification at least in some doubt, and the list of players who have been worse this year than last is far longer than the list of those who have improved.
Still, it hasn’t been all bad, with the emergence of the promising teenager Rio Ngumoha on left wing
and the impressive work-rate of Dominik Szoboszlai a constant in midfield. At least when he hasn’t been played out of position at right back. Beyond that, though, the pickings get a little slim.
In goal, Alisson Becker was there to bail out the team like he always is—but he was also injured an awful lot, leading to Giorgi Mamardashvili getting plenty of chances to step up and, unfortunately so far at least, not doing a lot to convince people he’s got what it takes to replace Alisson. In defence, Virgil van Dijk was still good—but not his imperious best. At left back, Milos Kerkz finished strong—but started terribly.
Then there’s Mohamed Salah, who had his worst season as a Red. Many criticized the Liverpool legend for failing to carry the team as he had in 2024-25. Yet Salah still managed 12 goals and nine assists, with a goal involvement every 147 minutes. He may not have lived up to his world class standards, but he was hardly the side’s biggest problem.
However, in attack he was eclipsed by Hugo Ekitike, whose unfortunate injury late in the season will rule him out for much of next year. Before that, though, Ekitike had 17 goals and six assists for a goal involvement every 125 minutes. He was also constantly lively in a side that often didn’t have much life.
For us, then, the top pick is Szoboszlai followed by Ekitike, with the promise of Ngumoha and still important contributions of Salah and Alisson rounding things out in a generally very poor season. How do you see things, though? Is Szoboszlai the only real answer? How close was Ekitike? And does anyone else deserve to be in the mix that we’ve forgotten about?
