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By LEWIS STEELE Published: 13: 00 AEDT, 13 March 2025 | Updated: 13: 00 AEDT, 13 March 2025 View comments The setting is a convention centre just down the road from the home of the Boston Red Sox, Fenway Park, on a cheerful spring afternoon not too dissimilar from the weather in the United Kingdom this week. An unassuming gentleman sporting jeans and a hoodie is chatting away to all manner of folk and the general gist is that whatever happens, he is happy in his current job and will not be leaving. The man is the lesser-spotted Michael Edwards, a private individual who is as important to the success of Liverpool in the last decade as Jurgen Klopp and Mohamed Salah. A man so private that many media articles about him use a picture from a Just Giving page when Edwards and other Liverpool staffers ran a marathon for charity in 2019. But while telling people he was not quitting his new role leading a data consultancy, Ludonautics, he was secretly in negotiations to be given the top job in football operations at Fenway Sports Group. And after talks with the FSG top brass in Boston that week, he was effectively handed the keys to Liverpool, which was confirmed publicly a year ago on Wednesday. Michael Edwards' (middle far left) triumphant return to Liverpool was announced a year ago The respected sporting director saw the Reds crashed out of the Champions League this week Liverpool were on the end of a heartbreaking penalty shootout defeat by French giants PSG Twelve months on, Edwards watched on from the posh seats at Anfield as Liverpool crashed out of the Champions League. He was sitting alongside the man he hired as sporting director, Richard Hughes, who in turn recruited Arne Slot when many outside observers did not even consider the Feyenoord boss as a potential candidate. Given the quality of the Paris Saint-Germain team that knocked them out, their exit is no disgrace nor is it time for panic. After all, Hughes and Slot, whose offices are side by side in Liverpool’s Kirkby HQ, have overseen a season beyond most fans’ wildest dreams. It was the hiring of Edwards that gave many of those supporters faith that the post-Jurgen Klopp era would be smooth and their short-term future was in safe hands. But what Edwards and Hughes would have observed is that their work in the next five months, between now and the end of the summer transfer window, will shape whether this Liverpool side are a one-season wonder in terms of winning the title — or whether they are ready to build a dynasty in England and potentially conquer Europe, too. With a prolific striker, for example, would Liverpool have had enough to beat PSG? It would be hard to grumble at that supposition if you imagine an Alexander Isak, Matheus Cunha or even Liam Delap leading the line, to pick three prolific strikers who could be on the market in the Premier League this summer. There were times on Tuesday night when Salah seemed to be let down by his attacking colleagues. He was beavering away in a creative sense but none of Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez or Cody Gakpo could finish their dinner. Gakpo is coming back from an injury and is clearly not fully fit, while Jota perhaps does not trust his body after a number of breakdowns in the last three years. The other pair face slightly uncertain futures. Liverpool will sign a striker this summer, meaning Darwin Nunez faces an uncertain future  Liverpool have six forwards but how many can they rely on to be a consistent goal-scorer? The answer is one and that player, Salah, is out of contract in three months. Federico Chiesa, the only signing of the Slot-Hughes era, has played 25 league minutes since joining. That is a clear area to improve this summer if they are to push on in Europe’s premium competition. Gakpo will stay but the other five are less clear: Nunez has interest from Saudi Arabia, the Spanish press is often flirting with Diaz moving to Barcelona, Jota’s injury record is worrying and Chiesa cannot get a sniff. And what if Salah stays but, with him turning 33 in June, cannot replicate his record-breaking season? The Egyptian is the best player in the league — if not the world — this year but he cannot be relied on for ever. This analysis is reactionary but it is these cut-throat decisions that will earn Edwards and Hughes their corn. In the past, Edwards cared little for loyalty and many trusted servants were moved on and replaced with younger talents. Yet the forward line is not the biggest issue this summer for Liverpool’s top brass. Virgil van Dijk admitting he has ‘no idea’ where he will be in August raised eyebrows to say the least, while Real Madrid are pushing hard and confident they can tempt Trent Alexander-Arnold to join. FSG have a policy of not extending the deals of those over a certain age but if there is a set of circumstances that warrant a change of policy, it is for Salah and Van Dijk. At the FSG-owned Red Sox, star man Mookie Betts was not given a good enough new deal when he was a certain age and was allowed to leave, where he won two baseball World Series elsewhere. Will the same happen if Salah leaves? Virgil van Dijk admitted that he has 'no idea' whether he will still be at the club next season Real Madrid are pushing hard and confident they can get Trent Alexander-Arnold to join Milos Kerkez could join, with Andy Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas looking shaky at points Whether they will sign on or not is a murky subject. Both have expressed frustration at the lack of progress made in talks. Offers have been put on the table for both but neither have accepted — so is there a conversation to be had over the fact that if they wanted to stay so badly, they should have just signed by now? Another problem area is left back, though Andy Robertson was perhaps Liverpool’s best player against PSG. The Scotland captain turned 31 on Tuesday and his deputy, Kostas Tsimikas, does not feel like a long-term replacement. Liverpool have been scouring the market in search of the man to fill the void once Robertson eventually does leave and Bournemouth’s Milos Kerkez is one to watch, as is Jorrel Hato of Ajax. Ryan Gravenberch has enjoyed a world-class season in defensive midfield but looked slightly leggy in both matches against PSG. If he or Alexis Mac Allister suffered a long-term injury, the midfield department would look light. Again, to criticise this team is somewhat of a moot point given the elite-level season Slot has overseen. They will win this title at a canter but if they are to defend their crown next season, and potentially try to go several steps better in Europe, Liverpool may need to overhaul several areas of the squad this summer.

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