Jurgen Klopp has less than a month to solve three Liverpool problems

The new Premier League season is almost in Liverpool, but the ducks are still not all lined up for Jurgen Klopp.

A schedule like no other has ruined plans that Klopp and his playing team would normally line up with a meticulous preseason eye.

A reordering of plans to visit the Evian-les-Bains compound for a training camp was forcibly changed last month after the government added France to its quarantine list.

Instead, the Reds flew to Austria and spent the better part of two weeks getting into shape for the defense of their Premier League title.

With just 48 days between the end of the 2019/20 campaign and the start of the new one, friendlies were also not as frequent as Klopp traditionally prefers.

Last summer Liverpool played up to seven before concluding proceedings with the Community Shield against Manchester City.

This time, only three exhibition matches were organized, against Stuttart, Red Bull Salzburg and Blackpool, as well as the backdrop against Arsenal almost a fortnight ago.

Insiders at Anfield, however, are not complaining. It is accepted that they are all in the same boat.

“Normally if you are an international player you have three weeks off but this time it was only two so they still had a good rest,” says an Anfield source.

“But they also all came back in good shape because we have to go back. Today, professional players are in a better and more professional mentality, so you know we can’t complain about that on that side.”

But while the pieces would normally snap into place for Liverpool just days before a new season begins, there are still a number of subplots to be resolved.

The future of Gini Wijnaldum

Gini Wijnaldum’s contractual situation is without a doubt the greatest of all when it comes to the club.

Thirty-seven appearances last season marked the Dutchman as Klopp’s most used midfielder in the Premier League, but despite his status as one of the most trusted lieutenants, he remains without a new contract.

Wijnaldum is still bound by the same terms he signed when he arrived from Newcastle in 2016 and with just nine months left on that contract, it won’t be long before he can discuss his next move with other clubs.

No talks are planned between Liverpool and Wijnaldum representatives and there is interest from Barcelona, ​​which is now led by its former Dutch coach Ronald Koeman.

What is more valuable to Liverpool at this stage: a Wijnaldum senior year or a reduced-price transfer fee? The Reds have a big decision to trade if they stick around or squirm.

Of course, with the transfer window open until October 5, time is still on the Reds’ side either way, but Klopp will surely want a resolution sooner rather than later for such a major issue.

Central back shortage

On the other hand, the situation in central defense is not entirely healthy in terms of numbers and coverage for Klopp.

Dejan Lovren’s departure leaves the Liverpool manager with only Joe Gomez, Joel Matip and Virgil van Dijk to choose from at the heart of his bottom line.

Billy Koumetio, Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg are promising outlets, but none of the teen trio are ready for the Premier League on a weekly basis.

For a team that has had the meanest defense in the division the past two seasons, major back surgery was never needed, but Lovren’s departure means Klopp only has three seniors.

One of those three, Matip, has been plagued with injuries for much of the past year and any further absence this term leaves Klopp with a real dilemma.

Fabinho has appeared as a center back when absolutely necessary, but the Brazilian international is far better when operating in his preferred role in midfield.

So does Klopp need a replacement for Lovren?

ECHO understands that the Reds are planning the season with their central defense options as they are.

However, Anfield sources have indicated that the unique nature of this transfer window means that the situation can change rapidly.

Liverpool will continue to scour the market behind the scenes to see if enough quality can be brought in for coverage at the rear.

Marginal future

The future of a number of fringe players at Anfield is also yet to be defined.

Players like Harry Wilson, Marko Grujic and Xherdan Shaqiri are all players whose tenure at Liverpool will be reviewed if the right offers come through.

Shaqiri was a target for Sevilla and Roma in January, but with the Reds embroiled in their efforts to win the league, it was decided that all hands were needed on deck for the last few months.

However, privately, a starting price of around £ 25 million was set for the summer, and Shaqiri was, and still is, in the window, even if that fee is likely to have dropped since the turn of the year.

In the Wilson and Grujic cases, Liverpool believe a loan will do little for any game at this stage. Anfield experts have made it clear that the club will not accept any proposal to bring any of the players to a short-term contract.

Loose sales prices of around £ 20 million have been set and if any of them leave Liverpool will demand a fee.

The Premier League champions are ready to play again, but there is a lot of work to be done below the surface.

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