After a season full of twists and turns, Liverpool have four more games to secure themselves Champions League football.
When they slumped to eighth in the Premier League in March, their European hopes were almost extinguished. They still have a slim chance of Champions League qualification, however, having gone unbeaten in their last six league fixtures.
They now face a run-in featuring games against Manchester United, West Brom, Burnley and Crystal Palace, with no margin for error. They are currently seven points behind fourth-placed Chelsea with a game in hand, meaning they aren’t out of the running just yet.
Looking forward to next season, Jurgen Klopp is tasked with reshaping his squad into a winning machine once more.
He has conceded that, owing to the impact of the coronavirus crisis, it may be “difficult” to do business this summer. That doesn’t change the fact that Liverpool need to strengthen across the pitch.
Here’s Wednesday’s Liverpool transfer round-up with all the latest developments.
While Kylian Mbappe continues to be linked with Liverpool, only an “incredibly optimistic” fan could see him moving to Anfield this summer.
That’s according to ESPN contributor and former Monaco chief executive Tor-Kristian Karlsen, who expects Mbappe to stay at PSG for another season at least.
Mbappe has just over a year left on his current contract and seems to be in no particular rush to sign a new one. He has previously spoken about his admiration for Liverpool and Klopp, which is one of the reasons why rumours persist.
Given the enormous cost of any deal with PSG, not to mention Mbappe’s wages, a transfer to Liverpool seems unlikely.
Real Madrid are probably best placed to sign him, though even they may struggle to finance a move in the coming months. Mbappe still has the option of committing to a lucrative new deal at PSG, though he may also decide to see out his contract and leave on a free transfer in 2022.
While Georginio Wijnaldum has been widely linked with Barcelona in recent weeks, Bayern Munich could also come in for him.
According to transfer reporter Ekrem Konur, the German champions have offered him a three-year deal.
Wijnaldum is out of contract in June and looks highly likely to leave Anfield this summer.
A move to Barca would make sense given his connection with Ronald Koeman, who coached him during his time in charge of the Netherlands.
Given that they have just won their ninth consecutive Bundesliga title, though, Bayern would certainly be an attractive proposition.
Nat Phillips will have to make a decision on his Liverpool future this summer, reports The Times.
Phillips has made 16 appearances in all competitions this term and, at the height of Liverpool’s defensive injury crisis, he did himself great credit with his largely steady and reliable performances.
With Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip working their way back from injury, however, he may feel that his options are limited next season.
That leaves him to mull over his next steps but, after an impressive campaign, he is in an enviably strong position.