The summer transfer window was one of change at Liverpool.
Having lost the long-serving Sadio Mane, after six unbelievable years at Anfield, along with Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino, Jurgen Klopp was tasked with rebuilding his forward line.
Entrusted with filling the void of the Bayern Munich-bound Mane was Darwin Nunez, who was signed for an initial £64m from Portuguese giants Benfica. Elsewhere, Calvin Ramsay and Fabio Carvalho were added to the Reds' ranks, for a combined fee of just over £10m, as the club started to bring down the average age of Klopp's squad.
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That looked like being it in the market until a series of injuries to key midfielders forced Liverpool into the late signing of Arthur Melo on a season-long loan from Juventus. But there is a feeling that further additions will have to be made next summer.
And next summer sees so many players in the European game out of contract come July 1, 2023. That means clubs away from their domestic league will be able to enter negotiations with the individuals and their agents from January 1 onwards.
And here is a selection of players who could fit in at Anfield.
Thomas Lemar
A player who Anfield officials know all too well, Atletico Madrid winger Lemar. Back in the summer of 2017, Liverpool and his former club AS Monaco were unable to agree on a club-record deal for the winger, but next summer could be the opportunity for the Reds to finally get their hands on a player they obviously have a long-standing interest in.
Having been so close to a Premier League move with both Liverpool and Arsenal five years ago, Lemar finally left the Ligue 1 side in the summer of 2018 as he joined Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid for a fee in the region of £52m. But having failed to hit the heights his career once looked so destined to reach, the Frenchman has entered the final 12 months of his contract and talks have reportedly stalled around a new deal in the Spanish capital.
Memphis Depay
Barcelona forward Depay is another player who has been consistently linked with a move to the red half of Merseyside in recent years - despite his ties with former club Manchester United.
Having signed from French giants Lyon in the summer of 2021, and penned a two-year deal at the Nou Camp, Depay enjoyed a fine debut season at Barcelona - scoring 12 goals in 28 La Liga games - but was seemingly on the verge of being sold in the summer as part of a book-balancing exercise following the arrival of the likes of Robert Lewandowski.
Able to operate across most of the forward positions, Depay seems like he would tick a lot of boxes on Liverpool's scouting inventory. Still just 28, he could be a shrewd addition to the Reds' squad if they were to profit on his uncertain future at Barcelona.
Konrad Laimer
Perhaps the most realistic name on the list due to Liverpool's recent links with a move for a midfielder this summer. Toward the end of the window, as the Reds lost Thiago Alcantara and Curtis Jones to injury, before losing Jordan Henderson, too, there were murmurs that the RB Leipzig man was someone the Anfield officials had a keen interest in.
Out of contract on July 1, 2023, and able to play a number of positions, Liverpool could explore the possibility of bringing the Austrian to Anfield next summer. Additionally, the Reds' stance is strengthened by the fact that Laimer is registered to the same German-based agency as Naby Keita, Mane and former striker Taiwo Awoniyi, and the club's healthy relationship with the Red Bull institution.
Marco Asensio
Potentially slightly audacious given the statute of the club Asensio is currently at in Real Madrid. But Liverpool would be foolish not to keep their eyes on a player as talented as the Spaniard as he enterers the final 12 months of his current contract.
Having exploded onto the scene with the Spanish giants in 2015, Asensio's career at the Bernabeu has, despite winning three Champions League titles, been blighted by constant injury issues.
Still only 26, it feels as though Asensio still has plenty to offer within the game and with Real Madrid continuously adding world-class talent to their midfield and attack, he could seek a proposal from elsewhere in a bid to hit the heights he looks destined for.
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