Liverpool pre-season report: Who has impressed? What have we learned ahead of Arne Slot's Premier League title defence?

As Liverpool prepare to defend their Premier League title, Sports Mole takes a look at their pre-season so far: Which new signings and academy stars stand out?

Arne Slot's Liverpool played their first pre-season game on Sunday afternoon, emerging 3-1 winners over Preston North End at Deepdale, and while the result was less important than the chance to pay tribute to Diogo Jota and Andre Silva, the clash gave fans a first glimpse at a new-look Reds side.

Four summer signings made their debuts against the Lilywhites, with Giorgi Mamardashvili and Freddie Woodman sharing the 90 between the sticks, and full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez playing 45 minutes each.

Further forward, 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha started on the left flank, and fellow youngsters Trey Nyoni, Ben Doak and Lewis Koumas got the chance to make an impression on the manager, who has yet to settle on his squad for the 2025-26 season.

Additionally, a number of senior players that have been linked with moves away from the club featured at the weekend, including striker Darwin Nunez and versatile attacker Federico Chiesa.

Here, Sports Mole considers what can be gleaned from Liverpool's pre-season so far, and which stars have impressed.

Exciting academy cohort

Amongst a field of seasoned professionals, the standout offensive threat came from teenager Ngumoha, whose direct dribbles from the left wing were a constant nightmare for the Preston backline.

The Reds' opening goal came from one of the youngster's drives forward, when he carried the ball beyond a number of defenders to initiate the move that culminated in Conor Bradley slotting home from close range.

Arriving from Chelsea last season, the 16-year-old came with the reputation of being one of the most promising English talents, and from the limited first-team minutes that he was given in 2024-25 and his showcase at Deepdale, that claim seems to hold true.

The Merseysiders have been said to be in the market for a young forward given the reported interest in Luis Diaz, but perhaps Slot could give Ngumoha the chance to play a backup role this term instead of splashing the cash.

Another academy star that has been making headlines is midfielder Trey Nyoni, and his composure and decision making in the centre of the park appear to be far beyond the norm for a player in his age group.

Do they deserve another chance?

Having struggled to establish himself as a regular starter during his three years at Anfield, Nunez is expect to depart the club this summer, with the likes of Napoli, Atletico Madrid and Al-Hilal credited with an interest in the striker.

The Uruguayan made just eight league starts last season, and was rumoured to be blocked from making any more due to an alleged clause that would force Liverpool to pay additional add-ons to Benfica should he reach 60.

The Reds' number nine has shown glimpses of his potential, but while he registered 31 goal contributions in 2023-24 and has maintained the second best per 90 stats of the clubs' forwards each season, he has failed to find consistency in front of goal and is considered a poor fit for Slot's style.

That being said, he had the presence of mind to round the goalkeeper and hit the back of the net on Sunday, as well as intelligently feint by letting the ball roll through his legs for Cody Gakpo's late strike, and given that he is now Liverpool's only specialist centre-forward, some have called for a rethink.

However, Nunez's high sale value means that Liverpool are likely to part ways with their number nine in lieu of bringing in a new face, with Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike linked.

In that same vein, Chiesa's dribbling was crucial to breaking the deadlock, and while he has shown flashes of quality, he is expected to move back to Serie A considering that he made only one top-flight start under Slot in 2024-25.

How did the new signings fare?

The four new signings that featured all made commendable starts to life in the famous red shirt, though Liverpool's new full-back pairing of Kerkez and Frimpong stood out.

The former Bournemouth left-back impressed with his trademark relentless playstyle, overlapping Cody Gakpo time and again to provide an attacking outlet reminiscent of Andrew Robertson's early days at the club.

Kerkez endeared himself to fans even further when he proved his willingness to put everything on the line for the team - even in a friendly - by attempting to tackle a player with his head when the ball was by the feet of a Preston defender, taking a blow in the process.

As for Frimpong, his pace and offensive output were already widely known in the football sphere, but it was his positioning and recovery runs that were most apparent on Sunday, allaying fears about his ability to defend for the time being.

Mamardashvili had a relatively uneventful afternoon in goal, as did Woodman, though the latter did make a couple of saves when Canadian striker Daniel Jebbison broke through the lines.

Reds fans are still waiting to see league and club-record signing Florian Wirtz make his debut, and his linkup with Mohamed Salah, and perhaps another incoming forward, could prove to be a mouthwatering proposition.

What transfer business do Liverpool need to do to retain the Premier League title?

The champions boast an incredibly strong side that were able to coast through the final few weeks of the campaign and still canter to the title, but given the departure of Jarell Quansah, as well as the expected exits of Nunez and Diaz, the Reds have a number of holes to fill in the squad.

In terms of backline reinforcements, Slot's team have been linked with a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, though it remains to be seen whether he will be available for a cut-price deal considering that the FA Cup winners are said to be demanding £50m despite the centre-back having just one year left on his contract.

Up top, the reported number one target for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes is Newcastle's Isak, but the Swedish striker would command another Premier League record fee, and the Merseysiders will need to raise funds through player sales to make the deal.

The other name consistently linked is Eintracht Frankfurt's Ekitike, and despite reservations about his finishing after a dramatic xG underperformance in the 2024-25 Bundesliga, a number of top clubs are interested.

Should Liverpool succeed in bringing their incredible summer transfer business to a close by signing a star centre-forward and adding to their centre-back ranks, then they would surely be favourites to retain the title.

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