How Liverpool could line up after Arne Slot gives 'green light' to first signing

Liverpool hopes to land its first signing of the summer in the coming weeks with new head coach Arne Slot supposedly giving the green light for the Reds backroom to pursue Nico Williams.

The 21-year-old Spaniard has impressed for his international team at the European Championships so far, and is said to be on many teams' radar. Williams has a $53.4m (£42.2m/€50m) release clause in his contract, which runs until June 2027, with numerous teams across Europe likely to compete for his signature after the tournament is up.

According to Caught Offside, Slot is a fan of Williams and would like to see him brought in. While getting a deal done would not be straightforward, the Spaniard could become Slot's first major signing after taking over from Jurgen Klopp.

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Slot has a huge offseason ahead of him, looking to make his mark on the team after taking over from the legendary German boss. And while he will have a say on who the Reds bring in, he has clarified that he will work alongside the likes of Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards to bring in the right players.

And should the Reds land Williams this offseason, here is how they could line up on the opening day of the campaign at Ipswich.

Goalkeeper: Alisson Becker

Despite being linked to the Saudi Pro League, it seems highly unlikely that Alisson will leave Liverpool this offseason with the Brazilian being under contract for the next three years.

Liverpool are likely to move on from back-up Caoimhin Kelleher, with the Irishman being heavily reported to want to look for a move so he can become a first-choice goalkeeper. Liverpool's move to replace him might be a big tell on how long they see Alisson remaining at the club - potentially bringing in another young keeper to develop under him, or signing a starting quality player to compete.

Defenders: Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, Andrew Robertson

As well as their goalkeeper, Liverpool's backline is expected to be unchanged - with the Reds hoping Real Madrid's reported interest in Trent Alexander-Arnold comes to nothing. The Reds' hometown hero looked emotional on the final day of the season at Anfield in May, with some summarizing it to mean that he could look to move on with Jurgen Klopp.

Despite Liverpool's links to Lille center-back Leny Yoro, he is unlikely to displace Konate as the go-to partner alongside captain Virgil van Dijk. Slot is likely to consider his options at left-back moving forward, with Robertson now on the wrong side of 30.

Midfielders: Wataru Endo, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai

Liverpool are likely to sign one midfielder, despite being overloaded with players at the position. For that to happen, one player is likely to leave with Endo being linked away from the Reds after just one season. Endo came in towards the end of the market after Liverpool missed out on both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with the Japanese international actually outplaying both last season. Slot could reunite himself with Feyenood midfielder Mats Wieffer in Liverpool - a move that many fans seem keen on across social media.

But for now, it's fair to say that Klopp's go-to three for large parts of the previous season are to be favorites to start on the opening day, with Harvey Elliott, Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch and Stefan Bajecetic all looking to fight for their place in the starting 11.

Attackers: Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez, Nico Williams

If Liverpool chooses to activate Williams' release clause as has been reported, he could be an immediate starter should the Reds move on from Luis Diaz amid the Barcelona links.

Williams release clause is around half the price of which Diaz could be sold at, with Liverpool getting younger at the left-wing position while adding one of European soccer's most exciting talented.

The Spaniard could slot right in with Salah and Nunezs, with both Diogo Jota and Cody Gakpo being viable starting options to use from the bench.