Liverpool’s summer of 2025 will forever be remembered as one of the most dramatic and breathtaking transfer windows in football history. The red half of Merseyside watched in disbelief as their club rewrote the rules of ambition, spending more than £400 million in a single window. Records were broken, rivals were stunned, and supporters went through a rollercoaster of emotions. But even as the dust settles on that extraordinary chapter, Liverpool are already beginning to shape what could come next. And the big question is clear: how do you prepare for life without two of the greatest icons the club has ever seen—Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk?
Richard Hughes, Liverpool’s sporting director, has already proven his bravery. Many doubted him when he stepped into Michael Edwards’ shadow, but the work he carried out this summer silenced critics. Twice in one window, Liverpool spent more than £100 million on a single player. Twice they made headlines across Europe. Twice they told the footballing world that Anfield is not just a cathedral of memories—it is a place of future glory.
But even in football’s most euphoric moments, reality lurks around the corner. Salah and Van Dijk, the two pillars of the Klopp era, the two names sung louder than most in the Kop, are approaching the twilight of their Liverpool careers. Both will enter the final year of their contracts in the summer of 2026. And for Hughes, this means planning must start now.
The difficulty of replacing players like Salah and Van Dijk cannot be overstated. Liverpool fans know this better than anyone. They lived through the painful truth when Steven Gerrard left; the heartbeat of the club departed, and while Liverpool eventually rebuilt, no player has ever truly filled that void. The same fate awaits with Van Dijk and Salah. You don’t replace legends—you only attempt to adapt.
For Van Dijk, Liverpool already flirted with his heir this summer. Marc Guehi was on the verge of arriving from Crystal Palace before the deal collapsed late on deadline day. But Liverpool’s interest revealed the blueprint: youth, leadership, and the ability to anchor a defence for the next decade. Alongside Guehi, Liverpool already possess Giovanni Leoni, a young centre-back who has been tipped to become one of Europe’s finest. Perhaps Hughes imagines a future where Guehi and Leoni together carry the torch that Van Dijk lit when he transformed Liverpool’s defence back in 2018.
Salah’s situation is even more complicated. He has been more than just a goalscorer for Liverpool—he has been a symbol. His left foot has written poetry at Anfield. His goals have shattered records. His name has echoed from Cairo to Kirkby. And yet, football is unforgiving, and even icons eventually pass the baton. Hughes and Arne Slot know that Liverpool cannot walk blindly into 2027 without preparing. They must begin the transition now.
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Names are already circling. Leicester City’s Abdul Fatawu, the dazzling Ghanaian winger, has caught Liverpool’s attention. His ability to glide past defenders and cut inside with a venomous left foot makes him a natural candidate to step into Salah’s shadow. But Liverpool’s big-money moves for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike this summer also suggest that planning for life without Salah has already begun. Isak, the £125m signing from Newcastle, offers goals, movement, and a touch of flair that feels tailor-made for the Premier League. Ekitike, younger and rawer, represents the future.
The real story, however, isn’t just about players in and out. It is about identity. Salah and Van Dijk shaped Liverpool into a team of winners, men who carried the club back to the summit of English and European football. They were not just performers; they were leaders of an era. How Hughes and Slot replace that presence—both on the pitch and in the dressing room—will define Liverpool’s future.
Supporters know what is at stake. They have seen great teams crumble when they failed to plan succession. They watched Manchester United struggle for years after losing Ferguson’s warriors. They watched Barcelona stumble after Messi. They watched Real Madrid reinvent themselves only by signing wave after wave of Galácticos. Liverpool cannot afford the same mistakes
And so, as 2025/26 unfolds, with Liverpool currently top of the Premier League table after three games, excitement will mix with anxiety. Every Salah goal will be celebrated, but it will also come with the bittersweet thought that his days in red are numbered. Every towering Van Dijk header will be cherished, but supporters will know they are witnessing the final chapters of a captain who redefined defending.
Richard Hughes may have already orchestrated the most expensive summer in Liverpool’s history. But his biggest challenge is yet to come: ensuring that when two legends finally take their bow, Liverpool’s anthem does not fade, but grows louder. Because replacing Salah and Van Dijk is not about finding identical players—it is about preserving the spirit, the fight, the belief, and the unshakable fear that Liverpool instills in every opponent who walks through the tunnel at Anfield. This is not just a transfer plan. It is a succession plan. It is the writing of Liverpool’s next great chapter.
