Dominik Szoboszlai sees his Liverpool place threatened by Florian Wirtz
Liverpool’s lavish summer spending is unlikely to continue without repercussions, with a BBC journalist having named the shock star Arne Slot could be forced to cash in on this summer in the wake of Florian Wirtz’s record arrival and amid claims another transfer-shattering deal has been lined up next.
The Reds romped their way to the Premier League title in Arne Slot’s first season at the helm, winning by a 10-point margin that ultimately could have been more had Liverpool‘s players not been in party mode as soon as they were. All the same, those in charge at Anfield have not basked in that success for long, as plans are already well underway for a number of world-class signings to further strengthen their squad.
Indeed, the Merseysiders wasted no time in signing up Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen as the replacement for Trent Alexander-Arnold, while a new British record for his teammate is set to go through on Friday when Wirtz signs on the dotted line for a mammoth fee worth up to £119.2m (€140m, $160m).
Incredibly, his status as the most expensive signing in the history of English football could fall in days amid startling new claims on Thursday that a mammoth deal to bring Alexander Isak to Anfield could be next in the works. To that end, four sources have all revealed why a raid on Newcastle for the Swede cannot be ruled out.
A possible deal for Isak could set Liverpool back a staggering £150m (€175m, $201m), with the Magpies neither wishing to sell but understandably having their own breaking point if discussions do heat up.
Such a deal could take Liverpool’s summer spending through the £340m barrier – far and away the biggest amount the Reds will have ever spent in a summer window.
However, those new arrivals won’t be without some cutbacks of their own and the likes of Federico Chiesa, Darwin Nunez and Jarell Quansah have all been strongly tipped to follow Caoimhin Kelleher out the exit door this summer.
BBC journalist Phil McNulty also raises the possibility of another high-profile sale at Anfield, with Curtis Jones facing what he describes as a ‘pivotal moment in his Liverpool career.
And with Liverpool’s midfield now being stacked with quality, he suggests Jones could be the major sacrifice Slot makes, despite the player being “highly-rated” by the Dutchman.
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With Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai also battling for places in the side, not to mention Jones and Wataru Endo in reserve, the Reds will have some serious options once Wirtz signs on the dotted line.
Assessing the situation, McNulty reckons a shock exit could be on the cards.
“There is going to be some tough competition at Liverpool next season, especially once Florian Wirtz comes into the equation,” he said on BBC Sport.
The 24-year-old Jones has emerged as a trusted member of the Liverpool squad in recent years, enjoying his best season to date across the 2024/25 campaign when he made 46 appearances across all competitions – his previous best being the 36 times he played in the final season under Jurgen Klopp.
That form has earned Jones elevation into the England squad, where he is also understood to be very much appreciated by Thomas Tuchel.
However, the England boss has warned his players they will need to be playing regular football if they are to make his squad for the 2026 World Cup finals – and the strong competition at Anfield could hurt Jones’ prospects of making the cut.
And McNulty notes that an exit for Jones from Anfield cannot be ruled out, stating: “Liverpool will want to recoup some of their lavish spending and there would be no shortage of takers should Jones come on the market.”
It had previously been speculated that Szoboszlai could be the player due to be forced out by Wirtz’s arrival, but Emile Heskey, in an exclusive interview with TEAMtalk, has explained why he expects the Hungarian to stay.
“If Wirtz arrives, then the reality is, yes, Szoboszlai may lose his place. But in modern football, sometimes it’s horses for courses. There are so many games to play, so many different teams to take on,” Heskey told TEAMtalk.
“You can say of a player that he’s not featured much, but they end up playing 30 games. There are squad players now who play as much football as regular starters used to. Some players are at 50, 60 games a season, and then we wonder why they burn out.”
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Another star tipped to depart this summer is Andy Robertson, once described as a ‘freak of nature’, and with the Scot now reported to have told his agent he wants to leave Anfield this summer and having chosen his next destination.
Talks over an exit for the 31-year-old are now expected to heat up as the Reds prepare to bid farewell to their long-serving left-back.
Meanwhile, FOUR sources all suggest Slot is now planning to go all out for Newcastle superstar Isak, with a pundit explaining how the “wow” transfer could impact the Premier League title race.
And finally, the Reds are being urged to push through the signing of a world-class striker billed as “absolutely perfect” for Arne Slot’s side, and with talks already having taken place over a swap deal involving two stars.
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