Liverpool’s backup plan is clear if no transfers are made this summer

Liverpool’s summer has been the quietest across Europe’s top five leagues when it comes to transfers but there is already a contingency plan in place if they don’t bring anyone in.

Arne Slot has enjoyed a successful pre-season in his first months in charge of the club. A three-goal win over Manchester United was another confidence-boosting victory after beating both Arsenal and Real Betis and fans have seen the full extent of their squad depth with several key figures only joining back up with the squad this week after an extended break.

Of course, there are still weeks to go in the window and reporter Fabrizio Romano has claimed we could see a late flurry of activity before August 31. Young players could exit either in permanent deals or on loan but, as it stands, Slot has a unique squad that boasts both youth and experience. What has been most apparent is their collection of young players.

Under the age of 25 Liverpool have: Trey Nyoni (17) Ben Doak (18) Stefan Bajcetic (19) Jarell Quansah (21) Harvey Elliot (21) Conor Bradley (21) Fabio Carvalho (21) Tyler Morton (21) Sepp van den Berg (22) Ryan Gravenberch (22) Curtis Jones (23) Dominik Szoboszlai (23) and four senior figures such as Trent Alexander-Arnold, Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Darwin Nunez all aged 25. That’s a fantastic crop of players for Slot to work with.

That’s also not including the likes of Owen Beck, Kaide Gordon, Harvey Blair, Lewis Koumas, Luke Chambers and Luca Stephenson - all of whom have featured so far in their three warm-up games.

Looking deeper at which have featured the most under the age of 21, it’s clear Slot has had no issue trusting the academy prospects. After all, it was something he was famed for during his time at Feyenoord. It’s something that Jurgen Klopp was also known for, having given out more debuts than any other manager in the Premier League across his nine years at the club.

It’s clear that not all of these players will remain with the first-team squad this season; some will continue in youth football at a high level, some will get a loan and some could be sold if a reasonable offer arrives. Regardless, there is a clear production line of talent that has all blossomed at the same time, giving Slot plenty of options to consider for the new season. If no new signings arrive, then he will look to his thriving academy prospects to help plug the gaps until the right player materialises on the market.