Liverpool kick off their 2026-27 campaign away at Newcastle under manager Andoni Iraola, entering a new era without any of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino in the squad for the first time in over a decade. Between 2015 and 2026, that legendary trio combined for 488 goals, with Salah scoring a Premier League record 10 times on the opening matchday.
With Salah now playing for Trabzonspor, Liverpool's current squad lacks a prolific focal point, as Cody Gakpo is the top scorer with only 50 goals. Following a combined £320m outlay last summer on Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, the club expected long-term success, but the burden must now be shared immediately.
While Ekitike is sidelined recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon suffered in April, both Isak and Wirtz are under intense pressure to lead the line following underwhelming debut campaigns. Captain Virgil van Dijk admitted the squad needs reinforcements to compete on all four fronts as the transfer window enters its final weeks.
Liverpool continue their search for attacking reinforcements after missing out on Yan Diomande to Real Madrid, with ongoing talks regarding PSG's Bradley Barcola. Meanwhile, young English winger Rio Ngumoha, who became the club's youngest ever goalscorer last August, is also being tested in pre-season as a potential wide option.
