A dream transfer window

The Reds were on a high after the title triumph. Purse strings were loosened, and what followed was a record-breaking splurge—a stunning 446 million pounds one.

The idea was to get a serious upgrade. When the dust settled after the transfer window, Liverpool had exactly done what they set out to do. They raided the Bundesliga and came away with Florian Wirtz, the talismanic influence of Bayern Leverkusen. Then, in another stunning move, Entract Frankfurt’s exciting forward, Hugo Ekitike, was signed for £ 86 million. Money was flowing, and Liverpool were on a roll in the market. These were not just what they got from Germany; Jeremy Frimpong was also picked up while they were out there. 

Milos Kerkez and defender Giovanni Leoni were also secured, alongside goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, on a permanent deal after his loan spell. And just when everybody thought they were done, came the icing on the cake. A record signing, Alexander Isak, from Newcastle. All of 125 million pounds. Although there was a lot of bitterness as the deal went through Isak did finally become a Red.

Outgoings generated around £260 million, including the sales of Darwin Nunez and others, which kept the net spend at a sustainable £189 million overall.

The frontline was indeed looking elite. Arne Slot was spoilt for choice. There were fast, incisive forwards everywhere one looked on the Liverpool squad sheet. The champions were getting ready to outdo themselves.  Nunez and Trent Alexander were not being missed at all..

Fans buzzed with excitement, viewing it as the perfect blueprint for title defence after a quiet prior window.

Troubles arrive at Merseyside.

But then, Fate had other ideas….as someone said

“Unseen in the background, Fate was quietly slipping lead into the boxing-glove.”

The fans had not seen this coming.

It all started to fall apart. Wirtz was finding it difficult to cope with the rough and tumble of the league and looked out of sorts. The ever dependable Ibrahim Konate was looking leaden-footed. Kerkez, for all his enthusiasm, was more of a nip than a class. Virgil van Dijk was finding himself isolated and under pressure. 

Anfield, always, the fortress was crumbling. The team was taking far too long to adjust to the changes. The directness of Nunez and the wicked crosses from Trent were being missed. Salah, the ever dependable, the one who led the charge, seemed to have left his bag of tricks behind on the mantlepiece of his mansion. 

In short, Arne Slot’s honeymoon was over. Nightmare was knocking on the doors, and it started showing. If all this was not enough, came the cruellest blow, the one that often comes when one is down and out -Injuries

The dream soured quickly as injuries decimated the squad. Isak suffered a severe ankle fracture requiring surgery after scoring against Tottenham, sidelining him for months in 2026

The new signing, Leoni, ruptured his ACL on his debut versus Southampton, facing a year out. Others injuries piled up: Cody Gakpo pulled a hamstring and Conor Bradley and Joe Gomez tore muscles.

The Red nightmare

A blistering start—seven straight wins—crumbled into disaster. Liverpool endured five defeats in six league games by late October. As Christmas came around they were 10 points off the league leaders Arsenal and lay 6th on the table.

Pressing intensity dipped sharply, with high turnovers falling from 8.1 to 6.9 per game per Opta stats. Slot’s tactics faltered without key personnel, compounded by grief over a lost teammate and reliance on the academy. The champions looked like shells of themselves; their £446 million gamble had seemingly backfired.

As is with obsessed fan bases, noises of “Slot Out” emerged. It may be early days, but Slot is definitely walking on thin ice this winter festive season.

Is a rebuild possible at Liverpool – well…….

Slot now faces a mid-season rebuild. With returns imminent for Gakpo and Bradley, and Isak’s long-term hope, Liverpool must rally to salvage their campaign. The window’s ambition remains, but injuries have brutally tested its wisdom—turning potential into peril.

Liverpool’s Premier League charge, in all probability, is halted. They were unceremoniously knocked out of the Carabao Cup by Crystal Palace, but are still alive in the Champions League. If the current form and the confidence of the team are any yardstick, the Champions League is a fading dream.

In a world of impermanence, Liverpool fell off the cliff in double time. And what a fall it has been. It doesn’t look good, even with for those with red in their eyes. Anfield has fallen and fallen repeatedly. These days, opposing teams walk into the imposing Liverpool home with no fear. For the fans it seems to be like having ordered from a high end Gourmet menu, only to be served with burnt food.

While the song You Never Walk Alone still rumbles in the stands, down in the trenches, you could reasonably presume that Arne Slot finds himself alone and, for that matter, like being alone on an island with high tide coming.

==================