The Reds have not been frugal this window and have equipped Arne Slot with a squad capable of defending its Premier League crown, but one position remains understrength.

Roberto Firmino would become Liverpool’s No 9 but he did not join as one in July 2015 and, across eight years, his role was not easy to define. Rather than putting the finishing touches to Liverpool’s moves, he was instead an orchestrator of their best play, giving others the opportunity to score more than him.