Arne Slot will need to find balance in his Liverpool squad for the 2025/26 Premier League season.
The Dutch coach stuck with a consistent core of players in his debut campaign on Merseyside with ten players starting 28 or more top-flight games.
That solidity played a key role in Slot's superb march to the title but changes are ongoing this summer.
Trent Alexander-Arnold has already moved on to Real Madrid, with reports of Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate moving on, to Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
Milos Kerkez is on course to land as a new option at left-back with Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi on Slot's radar to bolster the middle of his backline.
Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister appear unmoved at the base of Slot's midfield, with Mohamed Salah vital in attack, but the remaining three starting spots are undecided.
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Premier League transfer record signing Florian Wirtz will fill one of those spaces, but his exact position is unconfirmed, and Dominik Szoboszlai is ready to fight for his place.
Szoboszlai ready for Florian Wirtz challenge
Hungary international Szoboszlai started 29 league games last season, as the most regular pick in a No.10 spot, behind the main striker.
Wirtz's arrival will trigger a tweak from Slot, but he will not mirror the system deployed by Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, which will mean a change for the German.
With the thrust provided by Jeremie Frimpong and Kerkez out wide - Wirtz will move centrally - as opposed to the left-sided No.10 place he occupied in Alonso's 3-4-2-1.
That either means as a No.10 [in Szoboszlai's place] or a 'false nine' if Slot succeeds in offloading Darwin Nunez - and potentially Diogo Jota.
Despite the huge attention on Wirtz's unveiling, Szoboszlai is unfazed, after Salah's social media jibe that he could 'take' his No.8 shirt this summer.
Mo Salah joking that Florian Wirtz will take the No.8 Liverpool shirt number off Dominik Szoboszlai after the club posted a photo on Instagram 😂 pic.twitter.com/CkUzJSHzCK
— ESPN UK (@ESPNUK) June 23, 2025
"No, I don't think I'm afraid. Of course, if the club buys a player for €150m they probably won't keep him on the bench," he said.
"We have to find a way to play together. If you say it will be difficult for me, then we'll wait and see how it is after preseason.
"In the end, you might be right, but I don't give up easily. I think he knows that getting into a Premier League-winning team is a hard job and takes work."
What number will Wirtz wear at Liverpool?
Liverpool opted against confirming Wirtz's squad number at his transfer announcement and it will not be updated until preseason training starts in July.
Wirtz had previously rejected claims he wants Mac Allister No.10 - which he wore at Leverkusen - or Curtis Jones' No.17 - which he dons for Germany.
Despite Salah's little joke, he will not take Szoboszlai's No.8, with 6, 12, 15 and 16 the main options.
Liverpool news and related links
- Premier League club joins transfer race to sign Liverpool star
- How will Liverpool line up with Florian Wirtz?
- Liverpool star set for summer exit after asking price revealed