Liverpool 2023-24 season preview: Jurgen Klopp has Europe's best attack - but transfer failures could lead manager to leave Anfield

Liverpool were always likely to be physically and mentally drained after a 2022-23 campaign in which they played a whopping 64 games. A hangover was inevitable. It just lasted a lot longer than everyone expected, Klopp included.

The question now, of course, is whether Liverpool have sufficiently recovered to re-establish themselves as the only credible threat to City's dominance of English football. Klopp says his side simply cannot compete with the Abu Dhabi-backed club, at least in the transfer market - which obviously has a major say in who's successful on the field - and that's been proven again this summer.

Liverpool have finally pumped some money into their under-resourced midfield, but it's clear that greater investment is required if they are to have a serious crack at the title because, right now, Liverpool just don't look strong enough from a defensive perspective to get close to City.

However, a top-four finish is still well within this squad's grasp, primarily because of their formidable forward line. Indeed, do not be surprised if Liverpool score more goals than anyone else in this season's Premier League.

The Europa League could prove an inconvenience from a logistical perspective but, at the same time, it also represents an opportunity for Klopp to rest his most important players - a luxury their primary top-four rivals will not have - and give more precious experience to an exciting crop of youngsters.

At the very least, this season promises to be far more exciting than last.

Moises Caicedo is on his way to Anfield and although Jones may be required the stop-gap No.6 in the first game against Chelsea, the problem should now be solved for the long-term. Even as a back-up, though, Jones certainly doesn't lack confidence and Klopp has plenty of faith in the local lad, who finished last season strongly before going to play a key role in England's victory at the Under-21 European Championship.

"In possession, there’s no doubt that Curtis can have a massive impact from that position," the manager told reporters earlier this month. "I think his development in the last few months since he was with us is remarkable.

"He was held back especially by the last injury, which was really not helpful, wrong moment, too long, everything. [The injury] looks stable since and the Euros gave him, for sure, confidence. So, having him on the pitch makes sense."

However, when asked if that meant playing Jones in front of the back four, Klopp's response didn't exactly sound like a ringing endorsement, "If nobody else is there, he can play [that role] definitely."

The dream for Liverpool is that Caicedo slots in seamlessly and plays it so well that Fabinho isn't missed. In such an ideal world, he'll mesh perfectly with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, simultaneously providing sufficient cover for an over-exposed back-line, and the perfect platform for the fantastic forward line to fire a rampant Reds side to a surprise title triumph.

Liverpool miss out on Champions League football for the second successive season, prompting Klopp to quit a club he loves because of his frustration with the Fenway Sports Group's refusal/inability to spend as much money as the likes of Manchester City and Manchester United in the transfer market.

It may seem a little far-fetched, but it's not beyond the realms of possibility. Certainly, as it stands, a top-four finish is by no means a guarantee with Liverpool preparing to kick-off their campaign without a recognised defensive midfielder - an immense and understandable source of frustration for the fans, including Jamie Carragher.

The risk, of course, is that the Reds, even with Caicedo, will remain horribly vulnerable to the counter-attack, particularly with Alexander-Arnold likely to be once again tasked with playing as an auxiliary midfielder - a risky but rewarding play that contributed significantly to Liverpool going unbeaten during their final 11 games of last season.

So, if Klopp doesn't have all of the players they need to pull off this delicate balancing act, the whole thing could once again come crashing down.

Mohamed Salah is Liverpool's most valuable player in the strictest sense of the term, in that he guarantees the most precious commodity in the game: goals. Even during a desperately trying 2022-23 campaign for his team, the Egyptian still struck 30 times in 51 appearances - and Klopp will need another prolific season if the Reds are to have any chance of challenging for the title.

In reality, though, everything hinges on the defence, meaning the dual role of new captain Virgil van Dijk is of the utmost importance.

First of all, he has a responsibility to ensure that neither standards nor heads drop this season, which will not be easy. Van Dijk has already admitted that he can understand why the supporters have "doubts" over the strength of the squad. As he pointed out himself, it wasn't just his predecessor Henderson who departed, vice-captain Milner has also gone, taking with him a huge amount of experience, drive and determination. Liverpool have other leaders, of course, but Henderson and Milner will arguably be missed more for what they contributed off the field - than on it.

However, Van Dijk's most important assignment - which he simply cannot afford to fail - is restoring order to a backline that was in total disarray at times last season, and worryingly porous in pre-season. To do that, he has to lead by example. It's time for the most expensive defender in the world to prove that he is also still its best.

Only two two choose from, sadly, but a pair of potentially game-changing acquisitions nonetheless. Szoboszlai's potential was obvious during pre-season, but it was Alexis Mac Allister who really stood out. And that's hardly surprising, of course.

Unlike the Hungarian, Mac Allister has plenty of Premier League experience under his belt, so he knows what Liverpool are all about. The likelihood is that Brighton's top scorer last term will slot seamlessly into the starting XI, given he has the right mix of skill and stamina to excel in a Klopp team.

He certainly looked right at home in the recent friendly rout of Leicester, breaking up play, beating the press and feeding his forwards in a 4-0 win. Szoboszlai should make a big impact in his first year at Anfield, but World Cup-winner Mac Allister genuinely has the makings of a Player of the Year contender.

Bobby Clark and Jarell Quansah both impressed during pre-season, but Ben Doak was the youngster that really stood out, most notably in the games against Leicester and Bayern Munich, even scoring against the former.

The former Celtic winger is still only 17 and by no means a physically imposing player - but Doak appears utterly fearless, always willing to back himself to beat even the most experienced of defenders, and never afraid to stick his boot in either.

The competition for starting spots this year will be intense, particularly in attack, given the amount and versatility of the forwards at Klopp's disposal. But it would be a surprise if the wonderfully elusive and thrillingly direct Doak does not add significantly to the two Premier League appearances he made last season.

Last summer, Liverpool paid an initial £64 million ($81.6m) for Darwin Nunez on the back of a fantastic campaign with Benfica that yielded 34 goals in 41 games, including six in the Champions League. It was just his second second season at the Estadio da Luz - his first had been nothing to write home about.

Nunez will, thus, be hoping that his Anfield career follows a similar trajectory. Truth be told, it pretty much has to if he is to have any chance of becoming a star at Liverpool.

He is already quite popular with the fans, of course, and that's understandable. Nunez is an agent of chaos, a constant source of entertainment. Things happen when he is on the field - both good and bad. The thing is, though, he spent a significant amount of time at the tail end of last season sitting on the bench, and he could suffer a similar fate this time around unless he improves his finishing, and his work-rate.

Nunez needs to prove himself a better option to lead the line than either Cody Gakpo or Diogo Jota, and that will not be easy whatsoever. The Uruguayan has looked sharp in pre-season, but he simply has to carry that form into the new campaign. If he fails to do so, talk of a transfer away from Anfield will intensify before the season is out. Liverpool simply cannot afford to carry a £64m substitute.

Liverpool appeared burned out by the halfway point of last season. The big fear was that the manager was too. As has so often been pointed out, Jurgen Klopp had spent seven years at his two previous clubs, Mainz and Borussia Dortmund.

Some concerned fans wondered whether history might repeat itself at Anfield, with Klopp looking a little lost as he approached the eighth anniversary of his arrival (October), unable to figure out exactly why a team that had gone within two games of winning a quadruple was now being overrun on an almost weekly basis. He was also quite irritable, incurring multiple touchline bans, prompting speculation that all was not right behind the scenes, with the German said to be unhappy with his employers' parsimony.

Klopp now appears reinvigorated, as if he's savouring the challenge of trying to get Liverpool challenging for trophies again. A strong finish to last season certainly helped, along with the recent additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.

However, this season is shaping up to be a massive test of Klopp's rightly renowned coaching skills, as well as his patience. He still has three years to run on his contract with the club, but it will be fascinating to see what happens if Liverpool struggle again because of their glaring lack of depth in key areas.

There is obviously no chance of Klopp being sacked - he is adored by the fans, and rightly so - butit would not be a surprise to see him walk next summer if he perhaps inevitably concludes that FSG's ambitions do not match his own.

As always, Klopp's press conferences and post-match interviews will make for revealing viewing throughout the upcoming campaign...

This Liverpool squad's shortcomings are obvious. First and foremost, they need a No.6, and preferably two, given 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic is the only natural defensive midfielder on their books right now - and while the Spaniard was sensational when he broke into the starting line-up last season, he's only just returned from injury.

Carragher was correct: the situation Liverpool found themselves in was "embarrassing", with both Fabinho and Henderson allowed to move to Saudi Arabia without a replacement. After a somewhat hilarious transfer tug-of-war with Chelsea, involving Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo, the Reds have now got their man, albeit for a mammoth fee of £110m.

It's also worth reiterating that a left-sided centre-back was supposed to arrive this summer, too. Instead, former transfer targets like Jurrien Timber and Kim Min-jae, who were available for knockdown fees, have gone elsewhere. There's still time, of course, but it's another area that urgently needs addressing.

The back five pretty much picks itself, not least because of the lack of defensive reinforcements during the off-season. Indeed, there is an obvious fear that Liverpool could pay a heavy price for failing to bring in another left-sided defender.

Mac Allister should slot straight into the midfield and although he was assigned a deeper role in the final pre-season friendly against Darmstadt on Monday, expect the Argentine to be primarily deployed as a No.8 - either side of Caicedo.

Szoboszlai will obviously require time to settle but he should soon become a regular, even if he might face competition for an attacking midfield role from Gakpo, who has been utilised in that position in very offensive line-ups in pre-season, as Klopp looks to get as many of his forwards on the field as possible. After all, this is a top-heavy team. Attack may well be Liverpool's best - or perhaps more accurately, only - form of defence.

Up front, Salah is a certain starter and it would not be a surprise to see Luis Diaz lock down the left-wing berth now that the Colombian livewire is fit and firing again. Gakpo will likely be charged with replacing Firmino as Liverpool's mobile No.9, but Jota and Nunez, both of whom can also play out wide, will have plenty to say about that.

Bottom line: Klopp is not short of options in attack, so expect to see plenty of changes and variations.

(4-3-3): Alisson Becker; Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andy Robertson; Alexis Mac Allister, Moises Caicedo, Dominik Szoboszlai; Mohamed Salah, Cody Gakpo, Luis Diaz.

The transfer market has yet to close and several world-class forwards could yet make massive moves. However, Liverpool currently have the best forward line in Europe, with Gakpo, Jota, Diaz and Nunez competing for the two starting spots alongside Salah, who has hit 30 goals or more in each of the past three seasons.

Those players may have their flaws - chief among them, Nunez, who is maddeningly inconsistent - but no other side, not even Manchester City, have that level of depth up top. The mere fact that Jota, who has been on fire in pre-season, could start Sunday's game at Chelsea on the bench is testament to the Reds' awesome attacking arsenal.

So, while Liverpool could yet experience many of the same problems they suffered from last term,especially at the back, goalscoring will not be one of them if their top-quality attacking quintet can stay fit all season along.

Liverpool have undeniably regressed over the past year, so much so in fact that they now look like a version of the Klopp side that reached the 2018 Champions League final: great going forward but vulnerable at the back. So, expect plenty of goals this season, at both ends of the field.

However, if Liverpool can keep their key players fit, they should have enough quality to propel themselves back into the top four and pick up a trophy along the way. The Europa League is certainly a very realistic target if the Reds can make it through a group stage in which Klopp is likely to rotate heavily.

A Premier League title challenge looks beyond them as it stands, but their prospects would change significantly if a centre-back arrives before the close of the transfer window. Over to you, FSG...