One major hurdle as Liverpool favourites to retain Premier League title
Liverpool can win their first piece of silverware of the season when they face Crystal Palace in the FA Community Shield on Sunday.
Wembley will host Arne Slot’s team and the Eagles on 10 August, with a lot of anticipation in L4 to see how the new signings perform.
The Reds will hope to start the new campaign on the front foot as they look to retain their Premier League title, win the UEFA Champions League and other domestic cups they missed out on.
Liverpool are seen as favourites in the Premier League, but they may have one significant obstacle in their title charge.
Slot lacks defensive options at Liverpool
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are expected to start for the Reds against Palace, and the duo will definitely be Liverpool’s go-to partnership next season.
The Netherlands international recently signed a new contract at Anfield, which arguably came as a massive relief for supporters.
Konate’s situation at the Merseyside outfit will be worrying for fans, though, with Real Madrid looking to repeat what they did with Trent Alexander-Arnold.
| Player | Age |
| Van Dijk | 34 |
| Konate | 26 |
| Gomez | 28 |
| Rhys Williams | 24 |
The French defender’s current deal at Liverpool expires next year, and they have struggled to secure his future on fresh terms.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see the 26-year-old run down his contract at Anfield and move to Los Blancos at the end of the 2025/26 campaign.
Joe Gomez and Rhys Williams are currently the only established backup centre-back options at Slot’s disposal, which could potentially be an issue for the Reds in the Premier League.
Who can Liverpool sign to reinforce their defence?
Palace centre-back Marc Guehi seems like the perfect target for the Merseyside outfit, with the England international in the final year of his deal at Selhurst Park.
Meanwhile, Liverpool have made a bid for Parma’s Giovanni Leoni, and while they have seen their initial offer get rejected, it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.
It feels like the Reds’ hierarchy know they’re short of options in the backline, and work needs to be done to strengthen it before the end of August.
Gomez and Konate have had their fair share of injuries at the Merseyside outfit in recent years, and Slot should push for further additions in defence.
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