It's the end of an era at Liverpool, with Jurgen Klopp draping the curtain on an illustrious tenure after professing that he had run out of energy back in January.
A season of immense promise has fizzled out over recent weeks and now the Carabao Cup looks like the only slice of silverware the Reds will win despite firing on all cylinders and remarkably belying a host of injuries until falling dramatically in the FA Cup against Manchester United in March.
Third-place in the Premier League and only trailing Arsenal and Manchester City by a margin – albeit a decisive one – Liverpool have enjoyed a resurgence after last season's woes and will now look ahead to a new era under Arne Slot with avidity.
It's uncertain what the objectives of 2024/25 are going to be at this stage but with some shrewd summer recruitment there's no reason why the Anfield side can't aim for the top.
Liverpool eyeing Premier League star
According to a report from transfer insider Dean Jones – speaking to GiveMeSport last week – Liverpool could trigger the £38m release clause for winger Mohammed Kudus this summer as forward signings are considered.
The West Ham United star has made quite the impression since arriving in England last summer and may well be eager to leave his outfit already, with David Moyes leaving and United facing a season without European football.
Jones noted that Liverpool could launch an approach in the coming months, especially given the shrewdness of a deal regarding his release clause.
Mohammed Kudus' season in numbers
West Ham triumphed in securing the signing of Kudus from Ajax last summer for a £38m fee and the London club have been repaid by stellar showings that have led to 13 goals and five assists from 37 starting appearances.
Moreover, as per Sofascore, the 23-year-old is averaging 3.8 dribbles, two tackles and 8.6 successful duels per game in the Premier League this season, emphasising his brilliant all-round skill.
The video above highlights one of the finest goals scored by any footballer this season, Kudus moving forth from deep, with the graceful gait of a bounding cheetah, to find space in the box and slot past Freiburg's goalkeeper – analyst Raj Chohan claimed that "Kudus can beat a man anywhere on the pitch" and it would appear he's right.
How Mohammed Kudus would slot in at Liverpool
Kudus has been described as a "generational talent" by journalist Gary Al-Smith and his frequent performances of note while at a West Ham side that can't seem to shake the defensive approach stage under Moyes denote the Ghana international's high-level ability.
As per FBref, the West Ham phenom ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 2% for successful take-ons (surprise) and the top 4% for tackles made per 90.
While he can play across the frontline, he is at his most prolific best when cutting inside from the right, and while this is Mohamed Salah's position at Liverpool, it may well be Darwin Nunez who is put at a disadvantage by these events.
Nunez has been hit with shellfire in recent weeks after his poor finishing appears to have finally boiled tensions over at Anfield, with the Uruguay international deleting recent Liverpool-related images from his social media accounts after intense criticism.
Nunez misses a staggering number of chances and isn't involved with enough regularity to prompt Klopp to start him in every fixture, substituted in on 22 occasions since signing from Benfica for a club-record £85m fee in 2022.
Matches played
29
34
Matches started
19
22
Goals
9
11
Assists
3
8
Big chances missed
20
27
Pass completion
67%
71%
Big chances created
11
11
Key passes per game
1.0
1.0
Dribbles per game
0.6 (49%)
0.4 (45%)
Duels won per game
2.8 (38%)
2.5 (38%)
He's just not performing at the requisite level despite having world-class glimpses within his skill set – when does the question flip from 'when' to 'if'? Slot needs clinical, effective forwards next season.
Kudus has the whole gamut of qualities and could even emerge as Liverpool's latest version of Sadio Mane should he move to Liverpool, with his African counterpart part of one of the Premier League's all-time great forward trios at Anfield, scoring 120 goals and adding 42 assists across a trophy-laden stint.
The Senegalese was rapid and intelligent in his movements, incisive with his finishing ability and a big-game player – his absence is still keenly felt and Kudus could be the 32-year-old's emulation, sending Nunez packing.
Given that Barcelona are nosing around, considering a swoop for the out-of-sorts 24-year-old, Liverpool might be wise to cash in and reinvest on a player like Kudus, who could take to the right and see Salah shift inward.
Lionel Messi is arguably the finest goalscorer in the history of the great game – he's arguably the greatest human to ever lace a pair of football boots.
The legendary Argentinian principally played as a right winger throughout his La Blaugrana career but shifted into a deeper, central role during the latter days, less focussed on finding the back of the net himself – this is something that Slot's Liverpool could see from Salah, who will be 32 in June.
Salah might be renowned as one of the Premier League's finest-ever strikers but his game stretches far beyond that area, ranking among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists per 90.
He has also created the most big chances in the Premier League this season (22) despite missing six matches. This speaks of a shift in role like that of Messi, in the centre, further consolidating Liverpool's blooming interest in Kudus.
With the fleet-footed Hammer darting down the right flank, a newfound sense of sparkling dynamism could be found on Merseyside. West Ham lost 5-0 to Chelsea in a chastening game last weekend but Kudus incredibly completed 13 dribbles and won 22 ground duels.
That is, frankly, absurd, and speaks of the Ghanaian's elite athletic ability and technical quality, making him the perfect man to join the attack at Liverpool, with an impressive goal record to boot.
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Should these cogs fall into place, Salah might just find himself taking Nunez's spot in Slot's team, with Kudus offering much more than his Uruguayan counterpart and potentially offering a sharp new dimension to the attack to elevate the squad to new heights, lifting them above their rivals in England and on the continent.