Liverpool's 2025-26 season ended with the hollow consolation of Champions League qualification after a campaign that lurched from one disappointment to the next. The deposed Premier League champions mustered their lowest points total and fewest goals since 2015-16, a regression that cost them their grip on the title. The departure of Mohamed Salah, whose influence waned during his farewell season, and the failure to replace Luis Díaz left a gaping void on the flanks that Arne Slot now admits must be addressed urgently.
Slot has made it clear that reinforcing the wide positions is non-negotiable if Liverpool are to re-establish themselves at the summit. "One of the reasons why everyone is talking about wingers is because Mo is leaving," he said, underlining how Salah's exit sharpens the focus on recruitment. The Dutchman stressed that at least one new winger is required, pointing to the sharp drop in goals and assists from wide areas as the clearest evidence of the problem.
The contrast with Slot's debut season is stark. A year ago, Liverpool's wingers were the spearhead of a title-winning machine, their combinations with overlapping full-backs delivering a relentless supply of chances. "If you had to describe the style of play I would describe it as very reliant on the winger-full-back combinations," Slot reflected. This season, those same combinations floundered, lacking the end product that had made them so feared. The manager admitted that neither the players nor his own tactical input reached the same heights.
Salah's farewell tour was a muted affair. While still capable of moments of magic, the Egyptian's output dropped noticeably in his final campaign, a symbol of a team-wide malaise. His departure removes a guaranteed source of creativity and cutting edge, but it also creates the financial and tactical breathing room to reshape the frontline. The failure to adequately replace Díaz, who left without a direct successor being brought in, only compounded the sense that Liverpool were trying to squeeze water from a stone.
The summer transfer window will therefore define Slot's second full season in charge. Liverpool have already drawn up a list of targets that includes RB Leipzig's teenage sensation Yan Diomande, PSG's Bradley Barcola, and Newcastle United's Anthony Gordon. Diomande is the most coveted, a 19-year-old who lit up the Bundesliga after a breakthrough season, though Leipzig are reluctant to sell with their own Champions League campaign on the horizon. Barcola and Gordon offer established top-flight pedigree but would command substantial fees.
Beyond replacing Salah, Slot believes the right winger can unlock Alexander Isak. The Swedish striker endured a difficult start to his Liverpool career, often isolated and starved of service. Slot envisages a dynamic wide man restoring the supply lines that made Isak so prolific at previous clubs, reigniting an attack that has too often spluttered. "The right profile of winger will not only bring the best out of Alexander Isak but spark an overall improvement," he asserted.
The manager's comments carry an implicit warning: the entire team, including himself, must rediscover their edge. "We all – me included – didn't bring the same level," he conceded. It is a frank admission that collective responsibility is needed to correct the course. Yet the onus falls heavily on the recruitment department to deliver the sort of game-changing signing that can swing a title race.
Historically, Liverpool's greatest successes have been built on devastating wing play. From the overlapping raids of Steve Heighway to the inside-out threat of Salah, wide forwards have been central to the club's identity. Slot's first campaign paid homage to that tradition, and the current malaise only reinforces how essential those players are to his system. Without them, the high-pressing, transition-based football he demands loses its bite.
The stakes are high. Another season of drift would not only test the patience of the Anfield hierarchy but also jeopardise the fragile sense of renewal that Slot's arrival initially brought. The Champions League return offers a stage for redemption, but domestic consistency must be the priority. Strengthening the wings is the most obvious starting point.
Liverpool's interest in Diomande, Barcola, and Gordon suggests a willingness to invest heavily. Diomande represents the high-risk, high-reward bet, a teenager who could become a superstar or need years to adapt. Barcola and Gordon are safer but more expensive options. Whichever path they choose, Slot's message is unequivocal: the rebuild starts on the flanks.
As the summer unfolds, the success of Liverpool's transfer business will be measured not just in names but in the restoration of a style that once swept all before it. The new winger—whoever it may be—will carry the weight of replacing a legend and reigniting a dormant attacking force. If Slot gets his wish, the bounce-back he craves will be powered from wide areas.
Based on reporting from The Guardian.
