Liverpool have reportedly not offered Manchester City legend Kevin De Bruyne a contract ahead of the expiry of his deal in the summer.
The Reds' have won the Premier League title, but rumours suggest that they will be active in the upcoming transfer window despite their success.
Boss Arne Slot's only signing in the entirety of 2024-25 was winger Federico Chiesa, who has not started a single top-flight game for the Merseysiders.
Right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold has also announced that he will leave the club in the summer, and the team will undoubtedly need to replace his creativity.
The Reds had been linked with a move for attacking midfielder De Bruyne, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but the Liverpool Echo claim that the club have not made an offer to the Belgian.
© Imago
Liverpool's transfer needs
The fact that Slot will be able to rely upon captain Virgil van Dijk and talisman Mohamed Salah for at least another two seasons means that the Dutch manager will still have two of his best players at the club.
However, the void that Alexander-Arnold will leave cannot be easily replaced, as while backup Conor Bradley may be ready to contribute significantly as a starter, he does not possess the former's immense passing range.
De Bruyne is arguably the only player in the Premier League who possesses a similar ability on the ball, but given he has suffered injury issues in recent seasons and is 33 years old, signing him could be risky.
The Reds are almost certain to sign younger offensive-minded players in the upcoming transfer market, but they must be able to replicate the impact of Alexander-Arnold.
While no individual signing is likely to be as creative as the right-back, Slot could look to replicate his skillset in the aggregate.
Perhaps the addition of an attacking midfielder could replace Alexander-Arnold's creativity, while a new left-back that specialises in buildup could help the team dictate play in possession.
Regardless of who Liverpool sign, they must back Slot with new signings in order to put him in a position to defend the club's Premier League crown.
Lewis Nolan
