Richard Hughes may have left Liverpool for pastures new at the end of the summer transfer window but, that doesn't mean that he didn't go out with a bang.

Before his exit, the Englishman spent over £150 million on four new players to try and bolster the Reds' ranks.

And, while all four of those players have done well so far, some questions still need to be asked about what the future holds for Liverpool.

There are many areas of their ranks that they're a bit weak in at the moment and, with a lot of contracts set to expire in June 2027, there are going to be a lot of gaps among their first-team squad.

Fans have already given in to losing some players such as Wataru Endo but, for others such as Virgil van Dijk , they're still holding on hope.

However, just in case negotiations with the Liverpool captain don't end up going well, they need to have a succession plan in place which is why one of Hughes' many gambles could be about to pay off.

Van Dijk is still one of Liverpool's best defender's despite him being 35 years old.

The Dutchman has been the rock in the middle of the Reds' defence ever since he joined back in 2017 and, even though he's now in the twilight stages of his career, you can tell that every defender who comes through the Anfield doors still looks towards him as the example of a perfect defender.