Liverpool are making a MASSIVE mistake by ignoring key issue

Liverpool are Premier League champions, it’s official.

The Reds have secured their 20th league title with four games to go, and focus will naturally now start to shift to the summer transfer window.

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Arne Slot’s side have been nothing short of outstanding this campaign, but there is still room for improvement and both Slot and Richard Hughes will be looking to mould the current playing squad in their own vision by making a number of additions.

Where Liverpool should strengthen the most is a subject that divides opinion massively, with every supporter holding their own view about where the Reds’ need to improve.

There are valid arguments for pretty much every position on the pitch, but there is one that really stands out heading into next season.

Liverpool’s top priority in the summer transfer market

The Reds are very publicly looking for a new striker, with some of the biggest and most exciting names in world football being linked with Merseyside switches.

Interest in big money targets such as Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike has been widely reported, and this may give the impression that Richard Hughes’ top priority is finding a new man to lead Liverpool’s front line.

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The position is obviously one the Reds are looking to address this summer, but it is not where reinforcements are needed most.

As well as winning the league, Liverpool have outscored every other team in the competition, with the closest opponent scoring 14 less goals than Slot’s side.

Darwin Nunez and Diogo Jota – the Reds’ main options through the middle – have undoubtedly been disappointing, but it is hard to argue that Liverpool lack firepower.

Where do Liverpool need to strengthen the most?

Player departures could obviously have a massive impact on which position needs strengthening the most, but as it stands there is one spot in Liverpool’s XI that is massively lacking depth.

The base of Slot’s midfield has been occupied almost exclusively by Ryan Gravenberch this season. The Dutchman has done a fantastic job but it is unrealistic to assume that such a heavy workload is sustainable.

Behind Gravenberch, Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton are the two most suitable options.

Neither player has given the impression that they would be capable of stepping into Liverpool’s midfield long-term if Gravenberch were to pick up an injury, although Endo has become a useful asset late in games when control is needed.

If Gravenberch remains the only real option for Slot in the holding midfield role next season, an injury or burnout feels almost inevitable, and a player who can rotate with Gravenberch regularly is an absolute must-buy this summer.

Are midfield reinforcements on the cards?

As the summer transfer window approaches, Liverpool are of course being linked with hundreds of potential signings, but holding midfield players don’t seem to appear very frequently on the rumour mill.

Goalkeepers also barely get a mention, but the impending arrival of Giorgi Mamardashvili explains this, it is less clear why Slot’s side aren’t being linked with competition for Gravenberch.

Perhaps it is simply a case that the Dutchman has performed so well that people don’t feel his positioning needs strengthening but the 22-year-old has played nearly 4,000 minutes this campaign, and expecting him to do the same every year going forward is irresponsible.

Richard Hughes and Arne Slot will know what the squad needs most better than anyone, but it feels like a mistake to not strengthen in Gravenberch’s position in what could be the biggest transfer window the club has ever seen.

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It remains to be seen which positions Liverpool will strengthen this summer, but their needs might not be as obvious as it seems at the surface level.