Richard Hughes could sell five Liverpool players including forgotten pair and raise £70 million

Arne Slot will be eyeing new additions to bolster his Liverpool squad.

There will not be wholesale changes to the current set-up although fresh faces are required. A centre-back is top of the priority list, while a defensive midfielder may also be coveted - and perhaps another forward.

Yet an open chequebook is something Slot nor incoming sporting director Richard Hughes will not be afforded. Fenway Sports Group will continue to run Liverpool in a self-sustainable manner.

When serving as sporting director, Michael Edwards earned a stellar reputation not only for bringing in the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Mo Salah and Alisson Becker but earning significant fees when selling players.

That’s something Hughes will need to do when fulfilling the remit to bolster Slot’s transfer kitty. And assessing the current dressing room, there are several who could help raise funds.

Sepp van den Berg

The Dutchman enjoyed a fine campaign at Mainz. Van den Berg made 36 appearances, scoring three goals and he was rated the best defender in the Bundesliga under the age of 23, per stats compiled by WhoScored.

The 22-year-old will return to Anfield with a year remaining on his deal - having previously had loans at Preston North End and Schalke - and behind Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah and Joe Gomez in the pecking order.

Slot will likely want to run the rule over his compatriot during the pre-season period. But with Liverpool in the market for a new centre-back, van den Berg’s future is uncertain and the Reds won’t want to risk losing him for free in 12 months. A reported price tag of £20 million has been slapped on the Holland under-21 international with Southampton, Brentford and Ajax linked.

Caoimhin Kelleher

It’s hardly a surprise that the goalkeeper has ambitions of being a No.1 in his own right. But Kelleher has admitted it may not happen at Liverpool with Alisson Becker firmly the first choice.

Kelleher will be pleased that he did not depart Anfield last summer. He enjoyed his best-ever campaign as he racked up 26 appearances. For the second time, the Republic of Ireland international helped Liverpool win the Carabao Cup. And there were 10 outings in the Premier League - with the highlight a 1-1 draw against Manchester City.

Kelleher has displayed that he is a high-class operator but he finds himself before arguably the world’s best stopper. Now aged 25, he understandably will want to kick on and is likely to attract interest after Nottingham Forest had a bid rebuffed in January. Kelleher’s stock is high and a valuation between £20-25 million has been mooted in the past.

Kostas Tsimikas

It was less than a year ago when the left-back signed a long-term contract at Liverpool. But at the end of the season, Tsimikas found himself as third choice in the pecking order. Andy Robertson is the undisputed preference when fit. But when Robertson and Tsimikas were injured, Joe Gomez deputised magnificently and thrust himself into second spot.

Since signing from Olympiacos in 2020, Tsimikas has had to settle for a back-up role on Merseyside.. After playing 48 times in the Premier League over four seasons, he could covet more regular action elsewhere. The 28-year-old is valued at around £18.5 million by Transfermkrt.

Nat Phillips

The defender’s Cruyff turn he pulled off against AC Milan at the San Siro has gone down in Anfield folklore. But Phillips will already be working on a likely switch away from Liverpool - and even outgoing goalkeeping coach John Achterberg has wished him good luck in his next move.

The 27-year-old endured a difficult first half of the campaign on loan at Celtic but got himself back on track when joining Cardiff City, playing 18 times. In truth, Phillips may want to finally find a permanent home, having also spent time at Bournemouth.

Liverpool reportedly were asking for £10 million last summer. But Phillips now has just a year left on his contract so their bargaining position isn’t as strong. A fee of £5 million could be fair.

Rhys Williams

If it wasn’t for the academy product, Liverpool would not have qualified for the Champions League in the 2020-21 campaign. Amid a centre-back crisis, with van Dijk, Gomez and Joel Matip all suffering season-ending injuries, an unlikely duo of Phillips and Williams stepped up.

Williams was just 20 at the time and his performances had supporters excited for the future. But it unfortunately hasn’t quite worked out for him since. He had loan spells at Swansea City and Blackpool before joining Aberdeen last summer - yet made just one appearance. And a move to League One side Port Vale in January lasted just a couple of weeks because of injury.

The 23-year-old has three years left on his deal but an exit may suit all parties. A fresh start could be what Williams needs, with Transfermrkt valuing him at £1.5 million.