The 25/26 Premier League season is just around the corner, and the excitement is absolutely starting to build.
Liverpool are looking to pick up where they left off last year and with new faces amongst those familiar ones, so here are a few names you should be looking out for that could surprise us all this season.
Conor Bradley
The right back spot at Liverpool has been under the spotlight for around 18 months. After losing arguably the best right back in the world, Liverpool immediately used Trent’s fee to pay for 30% of the deal for Jeremie Frimpong and filled the gap.
New signings don’t always arrive with guaranteed starts, and with the competition for the place being a little more balanced, this could propel Conor Bradley onto that next level.
He’ll want to make this spot his own, and competition can breed quality.
We’ve all seen that he is good enough to start for Liverpool. Performances against Chelsea and Real Madrid stand out from last year, but with the TAA safety blanket removed, how will Conor kick on?
Hugo Ekitike
In any other transfer window for any other club, a €90 million striker would be the most talked about deal of the entire window.
But with Florian Wirtz, Milos Kerkez, Frimpong, and a certain expensive Swede on the horizon, Hugo has almost fallen under the radar.
He had no shortage of potential suitors across Europe’s major leagues and his commanding presence coupled with his instinctive finishing, means he has all the makings of a full package.
However, young players arriving with a mammoth price tag and something to prove can go either way.
If Liverpool can gel him into their system quickly and he adapts to Slot’s sharp passing and even sharper transitions, it’s hard to see the ceiling for Hugo.
Curtis Jones
We’re entering a make-or-break season for Curtis Jones. Whilst there is absolutely no doubting the quality this young man has, he is trying to break into one of the most well-rounded and efficient midfields in world football.
On his day, he is sensational, and it’s on that form that he has seen some England caps, but you can’t expect to be a bit-part player for your club and get minutes for your nation.
Competition for places just got higher, so if Jones can keep his performances high consistently, we could be in for a treat.
Rio Ngumoha:
What were you doing at 16 years old? Rio Ngumoha is putting in performances good enough to make a ‘ones to watch‘ list for next season.
Although we see hype around the next big things almost every season, there is a reason Rio has Liverpool fans turning their heads.
He approaches the game the way every 16-year-old should, with no fear.
Liverpool has a great track record of dramatically improving players who are already established professionally.
Imagine the potential meteoric rise of a super-talented prospect who is still in the middle of sitting his school exams. Scary thought.