Liverpool’s Big Summer Starting To Simmer

Leadership, Wirtz, and the Konaté Conundrum

It’s been one of those weeks, hasn’t it? The kind of week where everything just seems to drop at once. Wirtz incoming. Robbo potentially outgoing. Konaté’s contract situation suddenly becoming a thing. There’s a lot to chew on, so let’s cut through the noise and focus on three key questions facing Liverpool right now.

Who Steps Up in the Leadership Group?

The leadership group always used to feel nailed on. Virgil van Dijk at the top, clear as day. Then you had the regular lieutenants: Robbo, Alisson, Mo. No arguments. Fast forward to now and everything feels up for grabs.

Let’s not forget, it was only around six or seven months ago we saw those round table club interviews; Salah, Alisson, and Robbo in one. At the time, we were sweating over Mo and Ali’s futures, with Robbo the presumed constant. Funny how that flips. Now Mo and Alisson are committed and Robbo looks set to go. Atletico Madrid are circling and it feels like the writing’s on the wall.

So with Robbo’s potential exit, we’re not just talking about a vice-captain vacancy, we’re probably looking at two open seats in the leadership group.

For me, the vice-captaincy is a no-brainer: Mo Salah. He’s signed on, he's still world-class, and he’s relentlessly chasing records and trophies. He’s leading from the front. There’s no debate in my mind, he takes the armband if Virgil’s not on the pitch.

Now, filling the leadership group gets trickier. Ibu Konaté is the obvious name. He’s been in the mix already, did that second round table with Jota and Mac Allister, and captained France recently. But here's the problem, can you give that status to someone who hasn’t signed a new contract? If there’s genuine uncertainty over whether he’s staying, I don’t think you can. You can’t build around someone who might be off in 12 months.

So who does go in? The standout for me is Alexis Mac Allister. Best midfielder in the Premier League last season, World Cup winner, proper attitude. Played the six, the eight, the ten; does whatever the team needs and never complains. He’s a shoe-in. Not a captain for Brighton or Argentina, but that’s irrelevant. Leadership’s about influence and consistency, not just wearing an armband.

Then there's the wildcard pick, Dominic Szoboszlai. Hungary’s captain. Loads of experience. Big personality. He’s still finding his feet a bit, but he’s got the tools to lead. And if you’re looking to reflect the new Liverpool under Slot, two of Klopp’s last signings stepping up feels symbolic.

Some will say Curtis Jones or Cody Gakpo. Both have decent arguments. Curtis gets the club, speaks well, and works hard. Gakpo has captained PSV and even had the armband for the Netherlands. But I’m just not convinced either will be nailed-on starters. And I think your leadership group has to be made up of players who are on the pitch most weeks.

So for me: Van Dijk, Salah, Alisson, Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. That’s the core. That’s the group to drive us forward.

Where Does Wirtz Fit Best?

Here’s the exciting bit. We’ve landed Florian Wirtz. A verbal agreement reportedly in place, and assuming the medicals go as expected, he’s coming in for a package that could hit £116 million. It’s a statement, make no mistake.

So where does he play? That’s the big decision.

Now I’ve seen a lot of takes flying around, play him as a ten, play him on the left like a drifting Coutinho, use him as a false nine. Truth is, I don’t think there’s a one-size-fits-all answer. It depends on the opposition, the setup, the game state. But the one thing that’s clear: you build the team around him. He’s that good.

At Leverkusen, he often operated in a 3-4-2-1 system, drifting inside from the left and linking everything up. Think more playmaker than winger. That role suits him, he finds space, picks passes, scores goals. But you need to put runners and grafters around him. Let him conduct.

A false nine? Maybe in certain games, particularly away at City or in Europe, where we need that box midfield. I’m not against it. But there’s a physical toll there, and we need to be cautious about dropping too many creative types into deep areas.

The ten role is the sexy pick, but who drops out? Not Szoboszlai. His work rate is too important, especially with Mo on the right not tracking back. And that’s not a criticism, Mo’s value comes elsewhere. So maybe you tweak the shape, maybe Wirtz and Szoboszlai rotate through the lines. Maybe you see Wirtz from the left more than expected.

What I’m convinced of is this: we didn’t pay that fee to stick him out wide and hope for the best. He’ll be central, involved, decisive. Whether it's left-central or false nine, give him freedom, give him the ball, and let him go to work.

Can Liverpool Afford to Lose Konaté?

This is the toughest one. What do we do with Ibu Konaté?

Right now, I’ve got no confidence he stays long-term. There are noises everywhere, PSG and Real Madrid interested, contract not signed, and his own words aren’t exactly reassuring. “We’ll see what happens,” he said. That’s not what you want to hear when you’re trying to build a title-winning defence.

Here’s where I land on this: if he won’t sign, keep him anyway. Even if it means letting him walk for free next summer.

Why? Because you don’t rip out three of your back four after winning the title and expect to go again seamlessly. If Robbo goes, Bradley or a new right-back comes in, and we’re still sorting the left side, you need some continuity. You need Virgil and Ibu to anchor that backline.

Yes, losing him for free is a blow. But if the alternative is selling him for a cut-price fee now, weakening your defence, and risking the whole system falling apart — I’m not for that. We’re talking about trying to win major trophies here, not balance the books.

If you want to sweeten the deal for him? Offer a leadership group role. Offer responsibility. But make it clear, if he wants to go, he’ll do it on our terms. Not Madrid’s, not PSG’s. Ours.

Final Word

Big summer. Big questions. No easy answers. But for me, some things are clear: Salah’s the vice-captain. Mac Allister steps into leadership, Szoboszlai maybe too. Wirtz plays centrally, where he can pull the strings. And Konaté? We keep him, regardless. These are the big decisions. Let’s hope we get them right.