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<\/p>\nIn this week’s Blood Red column, Paul Gorst looks at a major summer of change at Anfield and what might still await the champions as they begin the defence of their Premier League title tonight<\/p>\n
Paul Gorst is the Liverpool ECHO’s Liverpool FC correspondent and brings readers the inside track on all matters Anfield day in, day out. Now into his fifth season in the role, Paul follows the Reds home and away, wherever they play – including pre season. He brings you all the latest Liverpool news first each day, plus exclusive interviews and insightful, independent analysis. A journalist with over a decade’s worth of experience, he has worked at the ECHO since 2016.<\/p>\n
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(Image: Getty Images)<\/p>\n
In an effort to stave off the difficult second album, Arne Slot and Richard Hughes have been granted the big-band budget at Liverpool this summer.<\/p>\n
Having signed just Federico Chiesa 12 months ago for a cut-price fee of \u00a310m from Juventus, the Reds have been far more aggressive, proactive and front-footed this time around in effort to build on the success of the Premier League crown.<\/p>\n
The deal for Giovanni Leoni at an initial \u00a326m from Parma takes the Reds summer spending spree – already at historic levels – to a figure way beyond the \u00a3300m mark, with the prospect of more additions before the transfer deadline on September 1.<\/p>\n
READ MORE: Arne Slot makes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo comparison as Florian Wirtz set Liverpool target<\/a>READ MORE: Arne Slot sets Liverpool squad a new challenge after ‘weird’ admission over team behaviour<\/a><\/p>\n It’s been quite the outlay on Merseyside and it’s been a period that has kept those in the recruitment department knee deep in work all summer. One suspects the overtime sheets might have come at a considerable expense for the club from those working around the clock to ensure Slot’s squad is suitably reupholstered in time for the big kick-off, at home to Bournemouth on Friday evening.<\/p>\n Jeremie Frimpong kicked things off in May when his \u00a329m release clause was triggered before Florian Wirtz made Anfield history by becoming the most expensive player of all time at Anfield at \u00a3116m from Bayer Leverkusen. That is a mantle that the Germany international may even concede before the window closes. More on that shortly.<\/p>\n Armin Pecsi and Freddie Woodman have added depth to the goalkeeping department while Giorgi Mamardashvili’s \u00a329m move from Valencia, which was arranged last year, was made formal at the start of July. The Georgia international will provide some international-calibre competition for the vaunted Alisson Becker. Milos Kerkez, meanwhile, will see Liverpool have the sort of strength of depth most other teams could only dream of at left-back as the young Hungarian now jostles for position with the long-serving Andy Robertson.<\/p>\n The \u00a379m capture of Hugo Ekitike is arguably the most intriguing deal for the Reds thus far. The France Under-21 international has looked to be a potent mix of power and poise in his limited cameos so far and the nature of his well-taken strike in Sunday’s Community Shield augurs well as a new-look forward line continues to take shape.<\/p>\n In 18-year-old Leoni, the Reds believe they have ended a three-summer search for the long-term successor to Virgil van Dijk in defence while interest remains in England international Marc Guehi, who could yet join for a relatively cut-price fee from Crystal Palace due to his contract situation at Selhurst Park.<\/p>\n It is the intrigue around the wantaway Alexander Isak that continues to fill column inches and internet space, however. The Newcastle United striker has made it abundantly clear he sees no future at St James’ Park but it’s now two weeks since the Reds saw a \u00a3110m bid flatly rejected up in the North East.<\/p>\n