At right-back, it seems increasingly likely that Trent Alexander-Arnold will join Real Madrid. To lose his unique passing range would be a major blow. Conor Bradley, 21, is the other right-back at Anfield and is a good player, but he would need competition if Alexander-Arnold left.

There's been little room to rotate in that area due to the drop off in quality and that is starting to show. That lack of quality depth must be addressed to avoid making similar mistakes. Thiago, Diogo Jota and Kostas Tsimikas were brought in on the back of winning the Premier League in 2021.