Can Jurgen Klopp win his first trophy as Liverpool manager whilst retaining their place in the top 4?
What the bookies say?
Bookie prediction: 5th
Bookies have the Merseyside club finishing outside of the top 4 with four teams above them in the winners and top four markets respectively. Champions League success looks a distant hope too with ten teams all shorter than the five-time European champions who are available at 35/1.
Right in the thick of things at the turn of the year last season before folding tamely in January, Klopp’s men are a 15/2 shot to be top come this Christmas and 7/2 to win their first three fixtures of the season against Watford, Palace and Arsenal.
It looks like another trophyless season on the red side of Liverpool as bookies have them at 1/3 not to win any silverware this season and 12/5 to win any major title.
How do punters think they will fare?
It appears Oddschecker users don’t expect it to be the Reds’ year this year with four teams more popular than Klopp's men with punters. In total, less than 10% of all bets since the close of last season have been on the Merseysiders winning their first League title in 18 years.
They are however fancied to finish in the top 4 with over 11% of bets placed on the market for the Reds, making them the second most popular pick with punters behind their fierce rivals Everton.
Players to look out for?
So far, Mo Salah’s arrival from Roma has been the most high profile piece of business in the corridors of Melwood and the former Chelsea man is as big as 66/1 to win the golden boot in his first season at Anfield. Saido Mane made a big impact in his first season with the Reds and the bookmakers rate the Senegal forward as Liverpool’s biggest hope of topping the scoring charts who make him a 33/1 chance to score more than the likes of Aguero, Kane and Alvaro Morata.
Liverpool’s magic man Phillipe Coutinho meanwhile will be hoping to pull the strings with the Brazilian a 20/1 shot to be player of the season with Emre Can and Divok Origi both outsiders in the Young Player of the Year betting.
Transfer gossip
Many fans are hopeful of a very busy summer at Anfield and the gossip columns continue to see the Reds linked with numerous names from across the globe. Chief among them has been Guinea midfielder Naby Keita who is still odds-on to make the move from Bundesliga runners-up RB Leipzig this window. It's been a simlar, yet more complicated story with Virgil van Dijk with the Saints skipper also set for Anfield accoring to the bookies. Also linked are the likes of German forward Timo Werner and England and Arsenal midfielder Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and West Ham playmaker Manuel Lanzini.
Perhaps the biggest piece of business Liverpool can pull off this summer is keeping their magic man Coutinho who has been strongly linked with a mover to Spanish giants Barcelona. Despite the rumoured interest the Brazilian remains favourite to stay at Anfield this season.
