4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3: How will Jurgen Klopp Line up His Liverpool Side Next Season?

Which Formation Will Klopp Use In The 2017/18 Season

With a comfortable victory on the final day of the season, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool managed to step into the Champions League for the first time in three years and are already making some serious plans for the next season. Klopp needs to add some first-team quality and a bit of depth if they are to be successful next season and this has seen him linked with some of the finest players on show in Europe.

The likes of Naby Keita, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are high up the wish list for Liverpool and if they are able to sign all three, they will turn into genuine title contenders next season. But how will Klopp line up his team next season?

In his days at the Signal Iduna Park, Klopp used a 4-2-3-1 system extensively and to great effect. Though he started his time in England with a similar formation, the challenges in the Premier League saw him shift to a 4-3-3, trying to add some mettle to his midfield and cover for his back-four.

He also did not have the resources to play other systems to perfection and that surely handicapped him for atleast a few games. However, with insane money to spend and Champions League football in the offing, Klopp can move back to a 4-2-3-1, which is quite evident from his transfer targets.

Jordan Henderson is expected to be the first choice midfielder next season and Emre Can is the only player who can partner him if Liverpool go with a 4-2-3-1 next season. So it does not come as a surprise that the manager is looking at a work horse in Naby Keita who can contribute at both ends of the field.

Though it pushes Adam Lallana and Georginio Wijnaldum to the bench, it will add balance to the squad that will allow them to push ahead against teams that like to sit back and defend.

And the next big clue of Klopp’s system change is the fact that he is now spending on yet another winger who plays a similar role as Mane. The Reds need a talisman in attack who can finish off those half chances and it was believed that Klopp will look to sign a top class striker like Alexandre Lacazette. But Klopp looks set to splash £35m on Salah, a wide winger and it shows that he wants pace and width on both wings.

Mane on one wing, Salah on the other, Philippe Coutinho playing through the middle and Roberto Firmino fighting with a new name or Daniel Sturridge to lead the attack would make Liverpool one of the strongest teams going forward next season and though they may take time to adjust to the new system, they certainly have the personnel to make it a huge hit.