There will be no talk of quadruples this time around, but there is still reason to hope Liverpool are in for another trophy-laden season.
Coming agonisingly short in both the Premier League – when they were denied the title on the final day by a single point – and the Champions League, where they were beaten by Real Madrid in the final made the hope of a clean sweep seem a little too ambitious with hindsight.
There are still reasons to believe Jurgen Klopp’s side are capable of competing on several fronts again, though, with Darwin Nunez’s arrival off-setting the departure of Sadio Mane.
The familiar front line of Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino had already begun its demise, but this will be the greatest test of Liverpool 2.0 yet.
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Salah is back – though he’s never been away
Liverpool’s most significant signing of the summer may yet prove to be the Egyptian penning a three-year contract extension.
That was always the expected outcome of the protracted talks between the club and the striker who now has 118 league goals in just 168 starts for the club.
But the announcement removed any doubt, stress – and more importantly – any distractions or drama that would have followed club and player into the new season without an agreement in place.
His efforts last season saw Salah score one goal more, 23, than he had in the previous campaign in two games less. Hardly the sign of a man whose powers are waning.
Plenty of attacking options
The days of Klopp boasting a feared – if slightly predictable – three-man attacking line-up are long gone, given his new-look squad.
Yes, the sale of Mane, who scored 23 goals last season, might prove devastating to lesser clubs and crowd favourites Divock Origi and Takumi Minamino were also jettisoned.
But, by that stage, newcomer Luis Diaz had already proved himself an inspired signing while summer arrivals Fabio Carvalho and Nunez have excited fans.
Salah, Roberto Firmino and Diogo Jota all return, of course, leaving Klopp with an embarrassment of riches up front.
A big year for Gomez
Injuries and competition for places have limited the England defender to just 15 Premier League starts over the past two seasons.
That led, not unreasonably, to the belief that the 25-year-old might seek a move this summer, only for Gomez to sign a new five-year deal to stay at Anfield.
Virgil van Dijk admitted he had counselled Gomez to remain with the Reds and is backing his friend and team mate to make an impact in the upcoming campaign.
Nearly two years after he won the last of his 11 England caps, Gomez needs to re-establish himself in Klopp’s thinking.
Nunez is just what Liverpool fans were promised
Liverpool beat off a number of rivals in a move for the striker that could eventually cost a club record £85 million although there were a couple of early underwhelming pre-season displays against Manchester United and Palace.
However, a second half hat-trick in a win over Leipzig suggested reports of his demise have been hugely exaggerated.
More significantly, Salah gifted his new team-mate the ball to open the scoring from the penalty spot in that win – a sign of harmony that has not always been obvious in the Liverpool striker ranks.
Elliott’s time to shine
The 19-year-old saw the bulk of last season wiped out due to a dislocated ankle he suffered in just the fourth game, a win at Leeds.
But the end of that campaign, a summer of international duty with England under-21s and a strong pre-season campaign suggest he is ready to make up for lost time.
The former Fulham youngster still has only four Premier League career starts under his belt but clearly has won the faith of Klopp and is expected to figure prominently in his first team plans.
England under-21s manager Lee Carsley claimed this summer that he expected at least one of his young stars to start the new season strongly and win a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for Qatar. Could Elliott be that man?
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