It’s been a preseason like no other for Liverpool, with the tragic death of Diogo Jota thrusting the Premier League champions into a state of mourning.
The Reds’ fixtures this summer have thus been markedly poignant, starting out against Preston North End at Deepdale and concluding at Anfield via a tour of the Far East.
The show must continue to roll on Merseyside, though, with Liverpool showing that they’re not merely content with a single Premier League crown on Arne Slot’s watch. They’re thinking about a dynasty.
While the Reds have had their way in the transfer market this summer, Slot has encountered a few on-field issues. Nevertheless, Liverpool, with all their shiny new toys starting to bed in, do look the part.
Here are the major winners and losers from Liverpool’s preseason.
Winners of Liverpool’s Preseason
Rio Ngumoha
A special finish in front of the Kop 🎞️ pic.twitter.com/ZvMlb4YcNE
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 4, 2025
The 16-year-old played just once for the first team last season, during a FA Cup victory over Accrington Stanley in January. Supporters have thus needed to be patient, but they’ve enjoyed a hefty dose of Ngumoha this summer.
In short, the kid looks the real deal.
The low-sock donning teenager garnered plenty of buzz for his performances in Asia, with his lightning-quick feet and directness in transition coming to the fore. Ngumoha scored his first goal for the club in the 3–1 victory over Yokohama F. Marinos, and struck again with a similar-looking finish less than two minutes into his Anfield debut.
Ngumoha has certainly made a name for himself in preseason, and fans will undoubtedly want to see the spritely winger part of Slot’s plans in 2025–26.
Other academy starlets Trey Nyoni and Ben Doak have also made an impression.
Dominik Szoboszlai
The powerful Hungarian midfielder spent much of last season playing as Liverpool’s No. 10, a role which aided the Reds’ capacity to dominate physically, particularly at transitions.
However, we could see Slot slightly alter Szoboszlai’s role given the changes in personnel up top, with the former RB Leipzig star potentially playing a little deeper. Against Athletic Club on Monday, Szoboszlai was outstanding as a box-to-box operator.
He showed that he can function as a Trent Alexander-Arnold-like playmaker, while also boasting the engine to get up and down the pitch to reign supreme between both penalty areas.
Despite the array of new additions, a familiar face in Szoboszlai has arguably been Liverpool’s standout performer of the summer.
New Signings
Liverpool’s success in 2025–26 will ultimately depend on how well the new additions acclimatise. There shouldn’t be any issues for Milos Kerkez, who spent two years at Bournemouth, but the others, most notably Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitiké, are experiencing the Premier League for the first time.
Jeremie Frimpong will also be making his Premier League bow, although he was a part of Manchester City’s academy before developing at a senior level in Scotland and Germany.
Many expect teething issues to begin, and Slot does have his work cut out if he is to find the optimal balance. As individuals, though, all of Liverpool’s new signings have teased how good they could be.
Frimpong’s electricity is bound to overwhelm, with his forays forward steadied by the completeness of Kerkez’s game down the opposite flank. Ekitiké, who struggled on his previous venture to one of Europe’s elite, produced a clean showing in the 3–2 victory over Athletic Club, wowing supporters with his slick stepover and shift to tee up Mohamed Salah.
Wirtz, meanwhile, just looks the part. He’s everything you thought he would be: a genius space interpreter who rarely wastes a touch and almost always knows where to be. Missed chances were the only blemish on Monday, but he scored in Japan.
Losers of Liverpool’s Preseason
Centre-Backs
Liverpool are ready to dedicate a potentially record-breaking amount to complete a historic summer window by signing Alexander Isak, but many are bewildered as to why the club haven’t done more to bolster their defence.
The Reds did superbly well to earn as much as they did for Jarell Quansah, but his exit means they’re a centre-back short. Joe Gomez continues to suffer with injuries, and we’ve seen Ryan Gravenberch and Nyoni used at the heart of Slot’s backline in preseason.
Given the contract situations of Ibrahima Konaté and Virgil van Dijk, not to mention how poorly Liverpool have defended at times this summer, the acquisition of a central defender must be a priority before the window slams shut.
The Reds have struggled to cope with counter attacks, with Slot bound to take some time to find the right balance in terms of the positioning of his full backs to ensure his two centre backs, even if they are Konaté and Van Dijk, aren’t exposed.
Conor Bradley
Alexander-Arnold’s exit has opened the door for Bradley to emerge on Merseyside, with the Northern Ireland international, who broke out during Jürgen Klopp’s final season in charge, showcasing that he’s capable of stepping up to fill the void.
The addition of Frimpong means Bradley has competition, and the former Bayer Leverkusen right back is expected to be Slot’s first choice come the start of the 2025–26 campaign.
Bradley suffered with a couple of muscle injuries last season, missing 17 games total, and he was absent on Monday due to an undisclosed setback which could see him miss the start of the season.
Frimpong’s exciting but chaotic and all or nothing nature means Bradley is bound to play a big role for the Reds moving forward, but his fitness woes since his breakthrough are a concern.
Set-Piece Defending
If defensive transition was the problem area on tour, especially in the defeat to AC Milan, then Liverpool’s set-piece defending was the biggest concern from their 3–2 victory over Athletic Club on Monday—the second part of the double header.
Both of Liverpool concessions came from set-pieces. The first was via the second phase from a deep free-kick into the box, with several players backtracking too deep, which allowed Oihan Sancet to score with ease. The second was a good headed finish at the near post from an outswinging corner, although it did go down as a Cody Gakpo own goal.
Slot was pleased with Liverpool’s defensive improvement on Monday night, suggesting Athletic struggled to create much from open play over 180 minutes, but admitted that conceding two set-piece was "not what you want" ahead of the Community Shield, with Crystal Palace one of the most proficient teams from such situations in the Premier League last season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Winners and Losers of Liverpool’s Preseason Friendlies.