2022/23 Season Preview: Liverpool

As the 2022/23 season approaches kickoff, Liverpool remains comfortably the second-best team in England and up there with the elites of European football.

But the new season offers renewed hope to Jurgen Klopp, perhaps this is the season they finally take that next step to winning it all and securing that legacy as an all-time great football team.

The 2021/22 season was one of fine margins for Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool, one point in the league and one goal in the UEFA Champions League final was all that prevented the Reds from completing an historic treble. 

And while there is nothing particularly special about winning the FA and EFL Cups in the same season for a club of Liverpool's stature, it was a pretty special season for Jurgen Klopp's charges who fell just short of immortality.

The team that played every single game they possibly could have last season now has another crack at the unthinkable but this time without one of 2021/22's key component in Sadio Mane who moved on to what he hopes are greater things.

Mane aside, this is basically the same dominant team from last season, including a €75 million signing in Darwin Nunez to provide a much-needed classic centre-forward option.

Jurgen Klopp's system remains unchanged and we wouldn't have it any other way, Liverpool remains one of the teams to beat as their 3-1 triumph over Manchester City in the Community Shield emphasised.

Liverpool have carved out a reputation for smart business in the transfer market over the years largely thanks to their transfer guru sporting director Michael Edwards who has now left the club.

Beyond the €75 million spent on Darwin Nunez from Benfica, they also spent just under £11 million combined on two teenagers in Portuguese midfielder Fabio Carvalho from Fulham and Scottish right back Calvin Ramsay from Aberdeen.

In the exit column, Sadio Mane joined Bayern Munich for €32 million, Neco Williams joined Nottingham Forest for €20 million, Takumi Minamino joined Monaco for €15 million, Marko Grujic joined FC Porto for €9 million, Ben Davies joined Rangers for €4.7 million while Divock Origi, Ben Woodburn, Sheyi Ojo and Loris Karius all left as free agents.

As good as the Liverpool system and machine is, we have never seen them without Sadio Mane which is good enough grounds for scepticism heading into 2022/23.

Mane was the first big signing of Jurgen Klopp's reign at Anfield and he's synonymous with the project itself and its successes, it would feel odd to watch Liverpool play without him and it remains to be seen how they will handle his absence.

As good as Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool have been, they only have one Premier League title to show for it, missing out on the main prize by just one point in two of the last four seasons.

Success for the Kop can only come in the form of the 2022/23 Premier League title, not that the other trophies don't matter, but this is the one they really want, the one they have only won once in over 30 years.