Liverpool head coach Arne Slot has identified the arrival of a new right-sided forward as the primary objective for the 2026 summer transfer window following the confirmed departures of Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson. The club has already secured 20-year-old French centre-back Jeremy Jacquet from Rennes in a £60 million deal, marking the first phase of a defensive restructuring that is also expected to include Napoli's Sam Beukema. Speaking at a press conference ahead of the Merseyside derby, Slot confirmed that Salah, 33, and Robertson, 32, will leave Anfield when their contracts expire on June 30, 2026.
Slot’s tactical dilemma in replacing Salah
Finding a successor to Salah is the defining challenge of Slot’s tenure, with the Egyptian remaining the club’s most productive attacker into his thirties. "The first aim is to see how we are acting in the position of Mo," Slot explained. "If we want to replace him with a similar player or if we are going to do that differently." The decision pivots on whether Liverpool seek a natural winger to maintain their 4-3-3 shape or shift to a system that accommodates more central attackers. While Salah’s exit leaves a significant void, the return of 29-year-old left-back Kostas Tsimikas from a loan spell at AS Roma will provide immediate cover for the vacancy left by Robertson. This internal solution may reduce the need for multiple signings in the backline beyond the already agreed Jacquet deal.
Strategic shift to a 'sell-to-buy' model
Liverpool enter this window under pressure to balance the books following a record £450 million expenditure in 2025 on high-profile arrivals like Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak. Despite that heavy investment, the club’s Champions League quarter-final exit to Paris Saint-Germain and a disappointing domestic campaign have forced a return to a more cautious financial approach. Slot has internally requested the signing of Napoli’s Sam Beukema, 27, who is valued at over £30 million, but acknowledged to reporters that further exits are necessary to fund the squad's evolution. "The club has sold eight to ten players to make money to sign very talented players," Slot noted. "We have to sell to buy." This suggests that established first-team names may be offloaded to maintain PSR compliance while satisfying the requirement for elite reinforcements.
The focus now turns to whether Sporting Director Richard Hughes can secure Slot's targets before the pre-season schedule begins in July.