Best and Worst Moves Liverpool Can Make in the Transfer Window

While Liverpool's players are taking a break during the summer months, club officials are busy working behind the scenes to make transfers happen.

Mohamed Salah's arrival from AS Roma was just the start of what is likely to be a busy few months before the window to add players shuts again at the end of August.

The Egyptian winger is expected to be the first of many new faces to arrive at Anfield ahead of the 2017/18 season. In an interview with Oliver Bond of Anfield HQ, Goal.com's Liverpool writer Melissa Reddy predicted "five or six in total."

But who else might follow Salah in moving to Merseyside?

Liverpool have been linked with enough players to fill an NFL team's roster, so Bleacher Report has some friendly advice for Reds manager Jurgen Klopp.

We've offered up some positive ideas to help strengthen and develop the current squad—and also suggested a few moves that should be avoided in the coming months.

Best Move: Stay the Course with Virgil van Dijk

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Like a slow-burning plot in a soap opera, Liverpool's pursuit of Virgil van Dijk has been full of twists—and you suspect there are still a few more to come yet.

The sought-after centre-back appeared set to become the latest Southampton player to make the move north to Merseyside when it emerged early in June that he wanted a move to Anfield, per Andy Hunter of the Guardian.

For a brief period, it appeared Klopp had pulled off quite a coup. However, Southampton responded by reporting the Reds to the Premier League over an illegal approach, leading to Liverpool—with their tail firmly planted between their legs—releasing a statement apologising for their inappropriate actions.

The official release ended with the line: "We respect Southampton's position and can confirm we have ended any interest in the player." 

So that was that, right? Well, not quite. As with any soap opera storyline, the situation tends to simmer for a few weeks before suddenly coming to the boil again.

Sachin Nakrani of the Guardian cheekily suggested on Twitter how the appointment of Mauricio Pellegrino by the Saints could see the ex-Liverpool player and coach help his old team out:

"

Welcome Mauricio Pellegrino. Remember when you played for Liverpool. You do? Good. Now let's talk Van Dijk.

— Sachin Nakrani (@SachinNakrani) June 23, 2017"

Sure, enough, after a period of silence, speculation is growing that Liverpool remain hopeful a deal can still be done to acquire the kind of authoritative defender needed to upgrade an area perceived by many as a weakness.

Per Simon Jones of MailOnline, Chelsea plan to put in a £60 million bid for the player, yet are concerned the Dutchman is "still keen on a move to Anfield."

Liverpool are lurking in the background like a chaperone at a high school dance. They are right to keep tabs on the situation, too, because Van Dijk is clearly their top choice for a new centre-back.

Per Matt Hughes of The Times (h/t Anfield HQ on Twitter), Southampton are unwilling to do further business with a club that has already cherry-picked so much of their talent:

Still, until he's holding someone else's kit in front of a bank of cameramen at a press conference, they should retain hope the transfer can still happen. It may need Van Dijk to kick up a fuss, but this saga still feels like there will be further bumps in the road before eventually reaching a conclusion. 

Worst Move: Settling for Scraps

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Liverpool must buy new players.

That is the consensus view of most fans because the squad that finished fourth in the league last season simply won't be able to cope with the added burden of playing in the UEFA Champions League (should they negotiate their way through a two-legged play-off, of course).

Klopp deserves the opportunity to spend, too. The German has delivered his end of the bargain, returning the club to Europe's top table. Now the board need to back their man by providing him with a significant budget to add further resources.

The signing of Salah—who, according to AS Roma's official English site, cost an initial outlay of €42 million—should just be the start of the spending spree.

Yet this shouldn't simply be a numbers game. Liverpool do need to strengthen, of course, but that doesn't mean splashing the cash for the sake of it.

Remember the summer of 2014? Reds fans may want to erase it completely from their memories, but the sun seemed to go to the transfer committee's head that year.

Having lost Luis Suarez to Barcelona, then-manager Brendan Rodgers needed a replacement up front. Left with limited options to choose from, Liverpool took the gamble of bringing in Mario Balotelli.

History tells us it did not work out. In blackjack terms, it was the equivalent of being dealt a queen when your initial hand added up to 12. They went for boom but ended up with a pouting, poorly motivated bust.

The current situation is different—unless Barca come calling again, this time for Philippe Coutinho—Klopp won't have to deal with a major departure.

But Liverpool's transfer activity in the 2014 off-season (they also signed the lesser-spotted Rickie Lambert and Lazar Markovic in the same window) should act as a warning.

There is no need to settle. If the club cannot get one of their preferred targets (and they will have a number of options in each position), they should not start rustling through the bargain bin in desperation.

Klopp may not be able to turn water into wine, but he did convert James Milner into a reliable left-back. He is better left to work with what he already knows than be dumped with a mediocre addition who has little upside in the long term.

Best Move: Signing up Emre Can

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"I think it is no secret how much I like Emre. He likes the club and that is a completely normal situation."

Klopp's quote to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo at the start of May suggested there was no need to panic over Emre Can's contract situation.

Almost two months on, however, and there's still no update on the German's future. With his current deal expiring at the end of June 2018, the clock is ticking.

The negotiations appear to be tougher than overcooked goat, and the vultures are circling, although Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Liam Spence of the Sunday Express) reported the player will shun interest from Juventus to stay with his current employers.

The story also suggests Can will earn £100,000 a week when he (eventually) signs a new contract. Some will argue that is too much to pay a player who can frustrate and delight in equal measure.

However, not only does Can have age on his side (he doesn't turn 24 until next January), the former Bayer Leverkusen man also offers two other plus points: familiarity and versatility.

While unwilling to go as far as shifting his compatriot into defence—a move predecessor Rodgers tried with mixed results when switching to a three-man back line—Klopp used Can in different positions in midfield.

With skipper Jordan Henderson sidelined, Can sometimes played the holding role. However, he looked more comfortable when pushed further forward, allowing him to use his power to contribute to the attack.

Consider him nothing more than a steady backup if you like, but Can made 32 Premier League appearances last season, scoring five goals and contributing two assists.

Finding a replacement would be costly (see Keita, Naby for the going rate for a box-to-box midfielder these days); Liverpool would be better sorting out Can's future this summer than allow it to drag on into a pivotal campaign. 

Worst Move: Leaving Promising Players to Stagnate

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While some Premier League clubs farm out their young talent to gain first-team experience, Klopp is keen to keep Liverpool's promising youngsters at home, allowing him to monitor their development at close quarters.

"If they are very young then clubs in the past have sent them on loan and I don't think it is the perfect situation," the former Borussia Dortmund boss told Pearce of the Liverpool Echo. "It's much better that we can work with them together on football at the highest level."

Last season, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ovie Ejaria and Ben Woodburn were among the prospects to benefit from Klopp's willingness to give youth a chance.

In contrast, goalkeeper Danny Ward was allowed to head to Huddersfield Town on loan. The move was a huge success for both player and club; Huddersfield secured promotion to the top flight from the Championship after Ward helped them win a penalty shootout against Reading at Wembley Stadium.

Per Peter O'Rourke of ESPN FC, the Terriers' enquiry to sign Ward permanently was knocked back by his parent club.

Still, with Simon Mignolet and Loris Karius already at Anfield, Ward's path to the first team is blocked. The Welshman would be best served with another season-long loan deal somewhere, preferably in the Premier League.

The same goes for Joe Gomez, albeit his circumstances are different. The defender fought back from two serious injuries to return to first-team action in the FA Cup at the start of the year.

According to Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo, Klopp sees the player as part of his long-term plans—but still may allow him to leave on a temporary basis. The article lists Bournemouth, Brighton and Huddersfield as potential destinations.

Goal.com's Reddy reckons Liverpool will consider allowing the 20-year-old England youth international to spend next season somewhere else, as tweeted by LFC Transfer Room:

For both Gomez and Ward, the key at this stage of their careers is playing time.

They are now beyond turning out in Under-23 football, with Liverpool likely to see far greater benefits by allowing them to get competitive minutes elsewhere. At the very worst, the club could profit from putting the pair in the shop window, rather than risk them stagnating in the reserves.

Best Move: Making Naby Keita a Red

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RB Leipzig took the Bundesliga by storm last season. They are hardly a footballing fairytale, considering they are backed by energy drink manufacturer Red Bull, but their rapid rise is still somewhat impressive.

Naby Keita was a key part of Leipzig's success. Signed for £12.75 million from RB Salzburg (you don't need to be Sherlock Holmes to work out the link between the two clubs) in July 2016, he scored eight goals and managed the same number of assists to help his side finish second behind Bayern Munich.

His performances have understandably led to speculation over his future, even if his current employers do not want to sell one of their prized assets ahead of their maiden voyage into the Champions League.

Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff told Bild (h/t Stephan Uersfeld of ESPN.co.uk): "It would be negligent to give away one of our key players now. Emil and Naby are both extremely talented players with a lot of potential."

Yet, according to Joe Rimmer of the Liverpool Echo, Keita is a "priority target" for Klopp, while Ed Aarons of the Guardian tweeted how the player is available to buy...for the cool fee of £70 million.

That is a high price for a player who has spent just one season in the top tier of German football. Still, it was quite a season. A high-energy, do-it-all type, the Guinea international looks ideal for a Klopp team.

The figure quoted may seem extortionate, but if you want the top-of-the-range model, you have to be willing to stump up the cash.

If Keita is the one Klopp wants to add extra dynamism to Liverpool's engine room, the board need to support their manager by backing the money truck up all the way to Leipzig.

Worst Move: Not Signing a Left-Back

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Milner did a solid enough job slotting in at left-back last season. Klopp's conversion of the midfielder filled a problem position, although the move felt like a sticking plaster more than a long-term solution.

"There have been times I haven't enjoyed it and have been frustrated, but I'm enjoying being part of this squad, we've got a lot of great players and I think we can be successful. I want to be a part of that," Milner told Sky Sports (h/t Paul Gorst of the Liverpool Echo) in May.

His consistent selection was not wholly due to his performances, though. Klopp lacked faith in Alberto Moreno, the alternative option who got so bored on the bench in the home draw with Southampton, he took on the bottle-flipping challenge during the game.

The Spaniard seems certain to move during this window. BBC Sport's Phil McNulty reported Liverpool had rejected an £11 million bid from Italian club Napoli, with the asking price for the defender set at £15 million.

As of now, Milner remains first choice for the role at the start of the season. However, he needs greater competition from, ideally, a left-footed defender who wouldn't need to cut back every time the opportunity arises to cross the ball.

"I think we need someone in the left-back position, James [Milner] has done a fantastic job out there, but it would be nice to have another option out there as well," former captain Steven Gerrard told BT (h/t Samuel Lovett of The Independent).

But who exactly? Fulham's Ryan Sessegnon was the early favourite until Liverpool dropped their interest in the teenager, per Glenn Price of ESPN.co.uk.

Pearce of the Liverpool Echo revealed how the club rejected the idea of taking Napoli's Faouzi Ghoulam in part exchange for Moreno, while also adding how enquiries for AS Monaco's Benjamin Mendy discovered the Frenchman keen on a move to England...just to Manchester City instead.

For now, Klopp's summer search goes on. He is a pragmatic sort who will back Milner to the hilt, yet there's little doubt a new left-back is needed to add balance to the squad ahead of such a huge season. 

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. All statistics and transfer fees used are from TransferMarkt unless otherwise stated.