The summer transfer window is upon us and as most managers begin assessing the areas of the market they need to delve into to improve their sides, Brendan Rodgers has already done the bulk of his work.
The Reds boss has grafted to improve his squad for next season making six signings. Danny Ings, James Milner and Adam Bogdan have all joined the club on free transfers, while Joe Gomez is in from Charlton, Brazilian Roberto Firmino has joined from German side Hoffenheim and Nathaniel Clyne has become the fourth player to join from Southampton in the last year.
However Reds are not finished, and Rodgers is still actively pursuing targets in a bid to improve his side.
Here are THREE additions Liverpool need to make to complete their transfer business this summer.
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Saido Berahino
It is no secret that Liverpool have openly been pursuing another striker to share the goalscoring with Daniel Sturridge and Danny Ings next season.
Names like Christian Benteke, Javier Hernandez and Alexandre Lacazette have been thrown around this summer but it is another player they have been heavily linked to in the past that they should sign.
West Brom striker Saido Berahino – the English youngster would be available for around £20m.
Rodgers has always been a fan of signing homegrown talent and Berahino fits the bill perfectly. The striker scored twenty goals for the Baggies last season and is exactly what Liverpool need.
A pacey striker with good technique and a keen eye for goal, the player would suit Liverpool’s quick counter-attacking style, and, perhaps, more interestingly Berahino has just cut all his ties with agent Aidy Ward – the same person that represents Raheem Sterling and is now the most hated man in Liverpool.
Could this be down to Liverpool wanting to sign the player but refusing to do any business with Ward? Who knows…
Marc Bartra
There is no doubting Liverpool’s leaky defence has played a massive part in their poor league positions in recent seasons – it even cost them the title in 2013/14!
The current trio of Mamadou Sakho, Martin Skrtel and Dejan Lovren look bereft of any confidence and are lacking a quality defender to challenge them for starting places at Anfield.
Kolo Toure is currently the main back-up at the club, and it’s fair to say the Ivorian’s advancing years are having a negative effect on his footballing ability. The club need fresh meat in defence.
One man who the club should be targeting is Barcelona defender Marc Bartra. Bartra would suit the tactics at the club, he is a solid defender but is comfortable on the ball as well, a skill Rodgers looks for from all his players.
He would also create space for Emre Can to make the move into his natural central midfield role next season.
Even though he’s admitted he’s willing to fight for his Barca future, first-team football could appeal to him.
Gary McAllister
It is not just on the field that Rodgers is looking to improve, the manager is busy trying to re-assemble his back room staff following the exits of assistant Colin Pascoe and first-team coach Mike Marsh.
Rodgers has taken the first steps to creating his new back-room team with the signing of Sean O’Driscoll as assistant manager and sealing the promotion of Pep Lijnders from the Liverpool academy.
The final piece in the puzzle is a new first-team coach and the man rumoured to be close to taking up the role is former player Gary McAllister.
He has managed Coventry City and Leeds United, as well as serving as assistant to Gerard Houllier – the manager who brought him to Anfield, at Aston Villa – and the Scot would surely provide the Liverpool squad with the wealth of experience and tactical knowledge.
Back in his playing days McAllister was a good technical player, and it is thought that if he joins he will focus on that side of the game.