Former Liverpool midfielder Lucas Leiva believes the Reds have the quality to challenge for the Premier League next season.
Liverpool were part of a three-horse race for top spot for the majority of last season, along with Manchester City and Arsenal.
However, a run of poor results in April saw them drop out of contention, eventually finishing nine points behind Pep Guardiola's side in Jurgen Klopp's final season in charge.
Arne Slot has stepped into the German's shoes, having been picked for a similar style of tactics to his predecessor, and questions have been asked whether Liverpool can pick up where they left off under a new manager.
And Leiva, who played for the Reds for 10 years between 2007 and 2017, has backed them to do just that.
"I think Liverpool can challenge against [Manchester] City, against Arsenal," Leiva told Stats Perform.
"Last year, like I said, Liverpool missed out in the last four weeks of the season. Of course, it will be difficult.
"Man City and Arsenal and other teams are getting stronger, and we know how difficult it is to beat Man City. But Liverpool showed last year the quality to challenge with a lot of young players coming through, and it was very positive.
"I don't see why Liverpool could not challenge Man City this year for the Premier League. I think the team is very good, and of course, other players will arrive to help."
Despite the optimism surrounding Liverpool's new manager, there are concerns over whether key players will still be at Anfield come the end of the season.
Mohamed Salah is entering the final year of his contract and has attracted interest from a number of Saudi Pro League clubs.
The Egyptian has scored 211 goals since joining the Reds in 2017, though his Premier League tally of 18 goals was his least prolific season for them, and Leiva thinks he may have a point to prove under the new manager.
"Mo, what a player he has been for the club," Leiva said. "We know that he came under Jurgen, but I think Mo has got a point to prove as well now.
"He will be a very important player, not only on the pitch, but off it as well. On the pitch, he's been amazing, and he's scored a lot of goals. He has been one of the best [players] in the history of the club.
"But with a new manager coming in now, I think he will need the senior players to help the other guys to settle in, even the new manager to settle in. So, Mo will be really important as well off the pitch. And I'm sure that he has many, many good years ahead of him in the Liverpool shirt."
Another Liverpool stalwart entering the final year of his contract is captain Virgil van Dijk, who has been a talismanic presence since joining from Southampton in 2018.
Only four players have made more appearances than his 197 since making the move to Anfield, and Leiva is confident he will not be leaving any time soon.
"I expect Virgil to stay. He's under contract," he added.
"He's the captain of the team. He had a great Euro, and the same as Mo, he will be really important.
"[Arne] is a Dutch manager, so he will play a big part in helping this new team, this new Liverpool team, going forward. Now he's on holiday, and hopefully, he will come back recharged and ready to go."
Trent Alexander-Arnold rounds out the trio with their future up in the air going into the new season.
The right-back, who started in the Liverpool academy in 2004 aged six, has been integral to Liverpool in recent seasons.
He was involved in the most attacking sequences among Liverpool defenders in the league last season (151), and Leiva is adamant the club should make it a priority to keep the home-grown talent.
"I've known Trent since he was 16 years old. He started when I was playing for the club, and at that young age we could see how good he was," Leiva said.
"He's a Liverpool player born in Liverpool. He is what Liverpool means.
"I think it's really important to keep your best players, and Trent is one of them. Like I said, he's a Scouser, and I'm sure that he'll be focusing on helping the team.
"He's a vice-captain of the team. He's grown so much in the last few seasons, and like all the senior players, I think these players now will play a big part in the new team. Helping the young lads coming through, as well as the academy.
"So, of course, with contract talks, you always have speculation, but I think you know it's really important for Trent to stay at the club because it's his home and I know how much it means to him to play for Liverpool."
Grealish motivated by Euro 2024 heartbreak
Jack Grealish said his omission from England's Euro 2024 squad was "the most difficult thing I've ever had to deal with".
Grealish was left out by Gareth Southgate, despite having been a regular in England's set-up since 2021.
The playmaker, who joined City from Aston Villa for £100million after helping England reach the final of Euro 2020, endured a stop-start campaign for Pep Guardiola's team in 2023-24.
Grealish scored three goals and set up a further three in 36 appearances in all competitions for City last season, but injuries and a loss of form meant he often had to settle for a cameo role.
But after missing out on Euro 2024, the 28-year-old has additional motivation to get back to his best.
"I'll be honest it was probably, football-wise, the most difficult thing I've ever had to deal with in my career," Grealish said ahead of City's pre-season clash with Barcelona.
"I was absolutely heartbroken and then obviously when you're on your holidays, wherever I was, every time you turn on the phone or turn on the TV or whatever, you just see it. So it was hard to not to see it.
"For myself now, moving forward, I have to just try to use that as motivation going into this season and try to have the same mentality as I had two years ago.
"In my first season at City I don't think I performed as well as I could and in the second season I played in a lot of the games and that was down to the first season. I had wanted to come back stronger and I certainly did that, so hopefully I can do that again.
"This is my chance to get my fitness, to have a two-week head start and try to be as fit as possible. And I'm playing with confidence. I feel like that's what I need and fingers crossed I can do that."
In Guardiola, however, Grealish feels he has the ideal mentor.
He added: "I always speak to him. I won't go into too much detail about what we speak about because that's between me and him.
"He's been so good for me in the three years I've been here - there’s not too many people better to take advice from. Pep is a master in this game."
Alvarez to make call on Man City future after Olympics
Manchester City attacker Julian Alvarez will not make a decision on his future before Argentina's Olympics campaign is over.
Alvarez has been a useful member of Pep Guardiola's squad over the past two seasons.
However, with Erling Haaland the clear first-choice striker, Alvarez has often had to deputise in an attacking midfield role, particularly as cover for Kevin De Bruyne.
The 24-year-old, who is representing Argentina at the Paris Olympics after he helped his country win the Copa America earlier this summer, is reportedly drawing interest from Atletico Madrid, but he has not yet made a decision on whether he wishes to leave City.
"There is a lot of talk," said Alvarez ahead of Argentina’s clash with Ukraine.
"I am focused here [at the Olympics] because it is a short tournament. At Manchester City I feel very good, I played a lot of minutes.
"But we will see after the Games. First, if I can, I will take a few days off. Then we will decide.
"Maybe it's annoying to be out in big games, players always want to help on the pitch. But my season was good, so I'm very happy."
Alvarez featured in 54 games in all competitions for City last season, more than any other player, though 15 of those were substitute appearances.
He scored 19 goals, outperforming his 17.5 expected goals (xG) while also contributing 13 assists, a tally bettered only by Kevin De Bruyne (17), with just Phil Foden (107) creating more chances than Alvarez (98).
Guardiola is eager to keep Alvarez on board, though conceded there is only so much he can do to keep the player happy.
"I don't think about replacing [him]," Guardiola said.
"I know he wants to play in important moments, but the other players [want that] too.
"We have 18 or 19 players who want to play in the important games.
"I read he has to think about it, so OK, think about it and after that he will inform us what he wants to do."
Klopp's 'unique' style would suit England, says Leiva
Lucas Leiva believes Jurgen Klopp's "unique" coaching style would be a perfect fit if he were to succeed Gareth Southgate as England manager.
Southgate stepped down as Three Lions boss after eight years following their 2-1 defeat to Spain in the Euro 2024 final earlier this month.
The 53-year-old led England to their first-ever Euros final in 2021 before reaching the showpiece match on foreign soil at a major tournament for the first time in their history.
However, he also became the first manager to lose two consecutive finals in the competition.
During his tenure, he was often accused of being overly cautious at times, despite the team scoring 213 goals during his 102 matches in charge.
Klopp, who ended his nine-year stay at Anfield in May, is one of the names being linked with the vacant job, and former Liverpool midfielder Leiva believes the German would be a success in the role.
"I think his coaching style can adapt to any club, to any national team, because Jurgen, the way he manages, is unique," Leiva told Stats Perform.
"I don't know if he will accept that, because maybe he's having a rest, having a break. But, as a Brazilian, if he gets the English national team, I'll be very worried because I know how he works.
"Of course, with a national team you always have less time to work with the team, and the way he plays, it needs time.
"But, if he gets the English national team, of course I'll be supporting him because he's a fantastic guy, a fantastic manager. And I think his style can be a success."
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