Jurgen Klopp is going to oversee a big transfer window this summer in order to make the reds challenging for a top four spot again. Weak areas are being addressed one by one which started by the arrival of Joel Matip who is an instant upgrade on Martin Skrtel who is off to Turkey. Simon Mignolet will rightly be replaced by the talented Loris Karius to become Liverpool’s no.1 keeper. Sadio Mane became the third most expensive signing for the reds as the team lacked pace and Mane brings that unpredictability factor into the squad.

Since Benitez left, the reds have lacked spine in the team as one by one the senior members kept on leaving. Firstly, it was Alonso and Mascherano, then Agger, Carragher and finally the leader, Steven Gerrard. Since his departure to the United States, Liverpool have lacked the leadership on and off the field to inspire the youngsters and guiding them in tough situations. The situation is better now as with Sakho, Can, Firmino and Sturridge, reds have players to finally make a team around and the likes of James Milner can assist the youngsters in training and in games too.

Having a strong spine to the team is a prerequisite for any successful team and Jurgen Klopp knows that selecting the captain is a tough job now as the latest rumours suggest that the boss wants to change the captain and the present squad has many candidates who can take over the mantle and try to emulate even half the leadership that was on show during the Steven Gerrard era. Jordan Henderson is worthy to be captain of Liverpool but since his injury, has gone out of form and is susceptible to errors in a two man midfield which Klopp plays week in week out.

James Milner was the captain in Henderson’s absence and he did a decent job as he had one of the highest number of assists in Europe. But same as Henderson, Milner can’t be trusted in a two man midfield and his best in a Red shirt has come from the wings which now is abundant with talented individuals like Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Lazar Markovic. If the player can’t get into the team, there is no point in keeping that individual the leader of the group.

Klopp is actively looking to bring a midfielder this transfer window which makes it all the more tough for Henderson and Milner to get into the team. Emre Can has cemented his place in the team and is a future captain for both club and country. He has been the captain for Germany U21 but now might be a tad bit early for him to get the arm band from Henderson. Dejan Lovren is rumoured to be in contention for the captaincy but with the arrival of Matip, his place in the team is not sure but even if he plays, Lovren for now should concentrate on his defending while captaincy might be a too big of a burden for the Croatian.

Mamadou Sakho is a worthy candidate as he has cemented his place in the team and now is expected to be cleared off a ban from UEFA regarding his doping case. He is a fan favourite and along with his robust unusual style of football, he understands the city of Liverpool well. He does a lot of community work in the city and the people appreciate the fact that in this modern age of footballers, someone does care for the most important thing in football; it’s fans. He was the vice captain of France under Didier Deschamps once and can become a good captain for Liverpool.