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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Nathan Bliss

How Liverpool's squad will look at the end of the transfer window according to Football Manager

After huge celebrations following Liverpool's magnificent Champions League victory, in which they beat fellow Premier League side Tottenham 2-0 in the final, attentions must now turn to planning for next season.

Jurgen Klopp's squad have put in some excellent individual performances this season, so it's not easy to see how they can improve their first choice eleven, but that won't stop them from trying.

Liverpool's transfer record in recent years has been excellent, with the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Alisson, Fabinho and Mohamed Salah being brought in over the last two seasons, who have then gone on to make an extraordinary impact on the team.

So, what could Klopp have planned for the 2019 summer transfer window?

And how could the squad look for the 2019/20 season?

We used Football Manager 2019 to simulate the future and see what could happen this summer...

Liverpool's squad in 2019/20 - according to the game

To find out what Liverpool's squad could look like, we used popular football management simulation game Football Manager 2019 to predict the future.

We used the game to skip ahead in time to the start of the 2019/20 season, to see how the squad looks - and what Klopp did in the transfer market.

(Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2019)

There was more change than you might think, most of it enforced by one transfer in particular.

Transfers in: £150.55 million rising to £177.1 million

Jadon Sancho (Borussia Dortmund) - £61 million

Alex Telles (Porto) - £41 million rising to £62 million

Hirving Lozano (PSV) - £26 million rising to £29 million

Manuel Akanji (Borussia Dortmund) - £19.75 million rising to £22 million

Cristian Pavon (Boca Juniors) - £2.8 million rising to £3.1 million

Blaise Matudi (Juventus) - Loan

Transfers out: £153.35 million rising to £163.95 million

Sadio Mane (Real Madrid) - £93 million

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Southampton) - £22.5 million rising to £25 million

Danny Ings (Southampton) - £18 million rising to £20 million

Nathaniel Clyne (Leicester) - £15.5 million rising to £22 million

Allan (Hertha Berlin) - £3.6 million

Kamil Grabara (Huddersfield) - £350,000

Xherdan Shaqiri (Porto) - Loan

Marko Grujic (Lokomotiv Moscow) - Loan

Harry Wilson (Marseille) - Loan

Ben Woodburn (Fiorentina) - Loan

Bobby Adekanye (Lazio) - Free

(Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2019)

What Liverpool's first XI looks like in 2019/20 - according to the Football Manager 2019

With all the transfers completed, this is how the Liverpool starting XI looked ahead of the first game of the 2019/20 season.

(Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2019)

As you can see, there is just one major change that was enforced on Jurgen Klopp at the start of the 2019/20 season.

After losing Sadio Mane to Real Madrid for £93 million, Klopp spent the money they received on not one, not two but three replacement players, Jadon Sancho, Hirving Lozano and Cristian Pavon, with Lozano starting the season as first choice left winger.

The arrival of tireless midfielder Blaise Matuidi from Juventus adds some more experience to their midfield, after the departure of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to Southampton.

Alex Telles provides real competition for Andy Robertson at left-back, whilst promising young defender Manuel Akanji provides competition at centre-back, fighting with Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren.

All in all, Klopp has more strength in depth to his disposal ahead of the 2019/20 season, according to Football Manager 2019 anyway.

Would you be happy with this line-up for the 2019/20 season?

And, would you be happy with these transfers? Both in and out?

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