Jurgen Klopp saw his Liverpool side end the season with a wild 4-4 draw at Southampton, and is now looking to a “really busy” summer of transfers. The Reds began well, then dipped dramatically, before reclaiming their momentum in an afternoon at St Mary’s that summed up their season. Roberto Firmino netted on his final game for the club, with Klopp having made seven changes to his starting lineup including a number of others who could move on. With Liverpool finishing fifth in the Premier League, the manager will now plan for not only a campaign in the Europa League, but a renewed push for the top four and, he will hope, the title.
Asked in his post-match press conference whether he would benefit from a break, Klopp insisted he was instead ready for a “really busy” summer. “No, not at all. I’m completely fine,” he replied. “If you’d ask me 11 games ago I would have thought about it! But I’m absolutely fine. “A really busy period hopefully starts now, in a different area of the game. I’m more than happy to do that.”
Beyond Firmino and Milner, Liverpool will also see Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain depart in the coming days. Neither were in the squad, Keita through injury while Oxlade-Chamberlain was simply left out, and they will now need to be replaced. Before the game, Klopp suggested that he is not anticipating deals to get over the line as quickly as he may hope, but reports in Argentina claim a deal for Brighton‘s Alexis Mac Allister is lined up. Mason Mount appears to be off the table as it stands, but a new target has emerged in Romeo Lavia, who started for Southampton on Sunday.
Supporters will be hoping this “really busy period” culminates in a successful reshaping of the squad, with Klopp admitting it had been a “bad season” for his side. “The better you behave in a crisis,” he mused, “the better you get out.” With Liverpool finishing fifth in the Premier League and entering the Europa League, Klopp is now looking forward to a “really busy” summer of transfers. He has already made seven changes to his starting lineup and will need to replace Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Roberto Firmino who are all departing in the coming days. Reports from Argentina suggest that Liverpool are lining up a deal for Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister while Mason Mount appears to be off the table but Romeo Lavia has emerged as a potential target. Klopp is hoping that this “really busy period” will result in a successful reshaping of the squad and that his side will be able to push for the top four and title next season.