Jürgen Klopp’s time at Liverpool has given fans the success they’ve been craving for years, with the German taking the Reds to the top during his nine-year spell.
The 58-year-old won five major trophies during his time at Anfield, then secured the club’s first Premier League title after many failed attempts.
Battles with Manchester City and Pep Guardiola will live long in the memory of all fans, with Klopp able to give fans a generation worth of moments that will stay with them forever.
However, his departure in the summer of 2024 gave Arne Slot the task of emulating success in the Premier League – something the Dutchman did with ease last term.
The 2025/26 season has struggled to catch on as many expected – especially after spending £450m on new additions – the real focus for the business this summer is getting things right.
Liverpool could have a £55m bid accepted for the European star
A few days ago, Liverpool were just one of a handful of Premier League clubs who were offered a summer move for Bayer Leverkusen striker Christian Kofane.
The Ivory Coast international has been the talk of the town between the two clubs for the past few months and it’s understandable if he has scored five goals in just ten league starts this season.
However, the Reds are not alone in their pursuit of the 19-year-old striker, with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City both monitoring his progress in Germany.
Despite the reported interest in Kofane, he is not the only player from the Bundesliga that Liverpool are eyeing, with RB Leipzig defender Castello Lukeba another star linked with a summer move.
According to TEAMtalk, the Reds are very serious about the deal to get the French player, who has already played 26 games in all competitions this campaign.
The report also claims that his current club are resigned to losing the 23-year-old in the next window and could accept a bid of around £55m.
However, like Kofane, the Slot boys are not alone in their pursuit, with rivals Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal all expected to make a move in the offseason.
Why Lukeba will be Liverpool’s next Szoboszlai
While Liverpool have fallen well short of expectations so far this campaign, the same cannot be said for midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai, who has been one of the club’s standout players.
The Hungarian international, who cost £60m in the summer of 2023, has featured in a number of different positions, but has managed to catch the eye regardless of where he started.
He currently sits on 12 goals and eight assists from 45 appearances in all competitions, the best return of his Merseyside career so far.
The 25-year-old’s catalog of goals during 2025/26 was impressive, with Szoboszlai finding the net with four straight free-kicks.
He was able to dig Slot’s side out of trouble at key times, it’s unimaginable where the Reds would be this term without his contributions in attacking areas.
However, the club has a good chance of emulating a transfer for the Hungarian this summer, but it all depends on preventing competition for Lukeba’s signature.
While the aforementioned pair operate in different positions, the Frenchman will be emulating the midfielder by moving to Anfield from Germany’s RB Leipzig.
Jeremy Jacquet is already set to arrive on Merseyside in the summer, but it seems the management are targeting further defensive reinforcements with Lukeba’s departure.
The 23-year-old has featured in Germany’s top flight throughout the ongoing campaign, his impressive stats highlighting his quality in the defensive third.
The centre-back has won 5.4 balls per 90 so far this season, ranking in the top 8% of all defenders in the division.
|
Castello Lukeba – Bundesliga stats (2025/26) |
|
|---|---|
|
Mathematics (90 percentile) |
Mathematics |
|
Games played |
23 |
|
Terms & Conditions |
1 |
|
Pass accuracy |
90% |
|
Passes are 90 |
60 |
|
A ball recovery has been made |
5.4 |
|
Times passed |
2 |
|
Ideas made |
1.3 |
|
Aerials won |
51% |
Such quality reflects his ability to dispossess attackers who have brought down his goal – something that has been the Reds’ downfall this campaign.
Lukeba’s skills off the ball are also reflected in his impressive 1.3 tackles per 90, while conceding just twice in 23 games.
The figures mentioned above are similar to the levels produced by Virgil van Dijk, with Lukeba able to provide a long-term solution to the team’s defensive department.
However, he has been extremely comfortable with the ball at his feet this season, after completing 90% of his attempted passes and a 60-of-90 completion rate.
The Frenchman’s talent in and out of possession would make him an excellent signing for the Slot men, with the backline an area that needs more attention this summer.
£55m for a player of his caliber would be very good business, not to mention the opportunity he has to reach the next level in his career over the coming years.
Should he make the move and come anywhere close to the levels Szoboszlai produced at Anfield, it could be a deal that could allow the Reds to challenge for the title again in 2026/27.
Liverpool in talks to sign £55m midfielder who could be next Wijnaldum
Liverpool could be looking for a big-money midfielder in the summer window.
