Liverpool are likely to be quiet in the next transfer window, says Michael Owen, with the former Reds striker expecting Jurgen Klopp to seek out only one marquee signing.
Even that may prove beyond the newly-crowned Premier League champions, with little room for improvement in their star-studded starting XI.
Any forays into the summer market could see the Reds seek out “squad players”. Owen, though, has warned that bringing in options who know they are going to be restricted to bench duty is never easy.
With that in mind, and with the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic set to see purse strings tightened across the board, squad strengthening is set to prove tricky on Merseyside.
Ex-Liverpool frontman Owen told BBC Radio 5 Live of recruitment challenges at Anfield: "I don’t think they will make many, if they make one that will be it in my opinion in terms of sizable ones.
"You can always buy 16 or 17-year-old kids for the future, things like that but in terms of impact on the squad I don’t think there will be many.
"I know people talk about keeping things fresh and keeping things alive but it’s not always the case.
"I know if I was a manager I don’t think I’d want huge squads, yes, you can get injuries but he seems, Jurgen Klopp, like he’s got the most unbelievable harmony at the moment.
"Where do Liverpool need to strengthen? They might need cover at left-back but where do you go for that?
"You can’t get the world’s best left-back. You could go and get a kid who could be the next best left-back, there could be one in the academy.
"It’s difficult to buy squad players. They’ve tried, they’ve used their name to get players on the cheap like [Takumi] Minamino, like [Xherdan] Shaqiri, players like that where they can use the badge because everyone wants to join them.
"It’s very difficult to look at that Liverpool team and say they look weak here and need strengthening.
"So I don’t think much will happen, I don’t think the squad is old enough to need a turnaround. They are the best team now, it’s about how long they can keep it going."