In recent years, the March international break at Liverpool has been the juncture for those tasked with recruitment to step up their plans for the summer.
Jurgen Klopp used to profess that with his international contingent away on duty for their respective nations, there was little else to do around the AXA Training Centre but shift the focus towards the upcoming transfer window.
For head coach Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes, that task is made more difficult by the fact that Liverpool don't quite know what the budgets might be given the precarious situation with regards to European football.
Currently fifth in the Premier League, that will likely be enough to secure a place in the hugely lucrative Champions League but recent form has seen the Reds take just one point from nine on offer and the Europa League would be a significant reduction in finances.
It will also likely have a knock-on effect for the calibre of player the club are able to bring in given the elite want to test themselves in Europe's most grandiose competition.
The ECHO's Liverpool FC writes have taken a look at the squad and come up with what they think are the most important areas for the club to target this summer.
A lot depends on the future of Ibrahima Konate here. If the France international signs a new Liverpool contract then the defence looks quite set with Giovanni Leoni and Jeremy Jacquet providing cover for the first choice pairing.
Where Liverpool most need an injection of elite quality is in those wide areas and having an additional forward to choose from would be huge for Arne Slot.
Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike, in an ideal world, will play through the middle but it's clear Cody Gakpo has struggled this season having had little competition for his place outside of an exciting but still raw Rio Ngumoha, who has a remarkable future ahead of him at just 17.
Having a top-class extra attacker, who is capable of operating on both flanks would give Liverpool the depth they sorely need in those positions.
There is a case to be made for signing a durable and experienced right-back and Milos Kerkez will need competition if Andy Robertson calls time on his legendary Anfield tenure.
But the most important position for Liverpool this summer is out wide. It's where the lion's share of the budget needs to be spent.
So many of this season's issues would have been solved if only there was a bit more pace and dynamism out wide.
In hindsight it was probably always fanciful to expect Mohamed Salah to repeat the heroics of last season when he registered perhaps the greatest individual campaign in Premier League history, but the drop-off in his displays have been compounded by the fact that there hasn't been much coming from the left hand side either.
Cody Gakpo has struggled without the presence of Luis Diaz as a potential alternative to him, with both players thriving competing with each other during the Premier League title winning season.
There are plenty of other areas that need addressing of course, but if two top quality wide men can be brought in then suddenly everything elsewhere looks a little bit easier.
When it comes to what Liverpool need to improve on in the summer, it would be easier to list what they don't.
Who would have thought that would be the case last May when they were dancing around Anfield with the Premier League trophy?
A huge amount of money was spent by the club in the summer on new recruits and I can't get away from the fact that their return on investment has been embarrassingly short of expectations.
Having said that, I don't believe that Liverpool actually signed any duds, rather that a squad wasn't built that has effectively complemented the ability that is clearly at their disposal, but rarely utilised on a regular basis.
There are many areas that need strengthening this summer. Jeremy Jacquet will arrive, but with Ibrahima Konate out of contract this summer I think an experienced centre-back needs to be brought in.
I don't expect Andy Robertson to stay on, so cover for Milos Kerkez is required and I wouldn't rule out signing another right-back either. Preferably one who doesn't get injured very often and just plays right-back.
Liverpool need a couple of new wide players for definite, so it seems a bit telling that I don't even think that's the most important area that needs addressing. The reality is that the team has been soft in midfield all season and regularly overpowered.
That means they need to bring in a least two more midfielders who can run all day and are prepared to put their bodies on the line. That might mean a couple of big names need to fall by the wayside, but we are well beyond worrying about that.
All of this will cost a lot of money again, so maybe a few stars that haven't lived up to expectation can be used to claw back some funds in the pursuit of improvement.
Mark is a Content Editor at Reach PLC's Liverpool Hub, and was appointed to the role in 2025. Prior to that appointment he worked solely for the Mirror for nine years, primarily in the role of Sports Features Editor. An experienced sports writer and editor, Mark worked for the Mirror at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and at Euro 2024 in Germany. A regular contributor to podcasts and videos, his work can be seen both in print and online, and his exclusive interview with the Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk in April 2024 is one of many successful projects Mark has completed for Reach PLC.
