Hansi Flick and Julian Nagelsmann are currently available. Both were free to begin negotiations with Liverpool when Klopp informed the directors that he would be leaving. It is now common knowledge but the executives had almost four months’ advance notice to secure Klopp’s replacement before anyone could imagine that the position would be available.

Planning decisions have already been made. Van Dijk, Salah and Alexander Arnold – arguably the main architects of Liverpool’s success – are out of contract in less than 18 months. With their contracts up in 2025, they will soon be free agents. The club currently plans to renew their contracts, although the temptation of selling Van Dijk and Salah to Saudi Arabia is hard to resist as it would give Liverpool the funds to finance a new team and usher in a new era.