For the first time since 2015, Liverpool will open a Premier League campaign without Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane or Roberto Firmino in their ranks, marking the end of an era that produced 488 combined goals for the club. Salah, who holds the record for most goals scored on an opening matchday in Premier League history with ten, has since moved to Trabzonspor and will instead begin his season in Turkey against Istanbul Basaksehir, while Andoni Iraola's Liverpool travel to face Newcastle on Sunday.
The departure leaves a significant creative and goalscoring gap. Cody Gakpo, with 50 goals for the club, is now Liverpool's leading scorer among the current squad — a stark contrast to the totals racked up by Salah and company. In response, Liverpool committed roughly £320m last summer to bring in Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike, signings made with an eye toward life after Salah.
Ekitike showed real promise following his move before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon in April, and he is not expected to return to full fitness until the second half of the season. That leaves Isak and Wirtz to carry much of the attacking burden after both endured underwhelming first seasons at Anfield.
Isak, who joined for a British record fee of £125m after scoring 62 goals in 109 appearances for Newcastle, managed only four goals in an injury-disrupted debut campaign for Liverpool. Wirtz, meanwhile, contributed seven goals and ten assists in his first season, and there is optimism inside the club that having a full year of Premier League experience will help him unlock his best form. Reports from within Liverpool suggest his understanding with Isak has grown noticeably during pre-season.
Manager Iraola expressed confidence in Isak's importance to the side. "We know his level and if we can keep him there he will score the goals and give us a lot of things," Iraola said. "Probably my fight with him and my instructions are more in terms of without the ball and how he can help in his position when we are with the ball so he can open spaces for other players."
Former Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler also backed Isak to deliver despite the pressure of his price tag. "I'm a massive fan. He's proven it in the Premier League before," Fowler said. "For a number of reasons, including the injury, it didn't work out last year but he's an exciting player and he will score goals and be a handful. As a striker, the price tag wouldn't bother me because the focus should be entirely on performing... He excites the fans which is imperative for a club like Liverpool."
Despite the confirmation of Salah's exit back in March, Liverpool have yet to make the marquee signing many expected to replace him, though the club's pursuit of reinforcements continues. A £120m move for RB Leipzig's Yan Diomande fell through after the teenager opted for Real Madrid, and with Ekitike sidelined, finding another attacking option has become more urgent. Liverpool are reportedly closing in on a deal for Paris St-Germain winger Bradley Barcola, with the two clubs negotiating a fee somewhere between PSG's initial £145m valuation and Liverpool's preferred £100m mark. The Reds also had a £60m bid for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh turned down this week and have shown interest in PSG's Ibrahim Mbaye.
For Sunday's trip to Newcastle, Gakpo is expected to start on the left with young winger Rio Ngumoha — who scored a famous 100th-minute winner at St James' Park last season — deployed on the right in Salah's old position. New signing Victor Munoz, who impressed in pre-season against Como, could offer an option from the bench.
Captain Virgil van Dijk acknowledged the squad still needs strengthening. "We need a squad that is able to compete on all four fronts, that's the only way to try to be successful," he said. "Let's see what the last couple weeks of the transfer window brings and then let's go for it."
Based on reporting from BBC Sport.