Richard Hughes has just learned his first Liverpool transfer priority after

Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes will have tunnel vision on appointing Liverpool's next manager.

Replacing Jurgen Klopp - and getting it right - is paramount. The Reds can ill-afford the sort of jettison that Manchester United experienced after Sir Alex Ferguson's departure. The priority is to get the appointment correct whether that be Xabi Alonso, Roberto De Zerbi, Ruben Amorim someone else.

Yet Liverpool's recruitment of players does not stop. Planning for future windows will continue. Hughes will be determined to make his mark early after arriving as the club's new sporting director. He must get plans in place along with Edwards.

It might not be a hectic summer transfer window. Certainly, midfield does not need desperate attention after four players were signed. Much may dictated by what happens with the future of Mo Salah in attack along with any other possible exits.

In truth, Liverpool will already have plans in place. That's how recruitment works. They'll have to be flexible, of course, as Klopp's successor could want a player of the ilk that the Reds do not currently possess. Yet when it comes to longer-term strategy in terms of their squad, there are some areas that will need to be thought about.

And perhaps Andy Robertson's latest injury scare has reaffirmed the need for a replacement. Robertson's far from past his best, although someone to fill his left-back void in the future is required. The Scotland international has endured an injury-hit campaign, with a shoulder problem sustained while representing his country in October ruled him out for three months.

And while it appears that Robertson's issue he sustained during the latest international break is only minor, he may miss out against Brighton on Sunday.

When fit, Robertson is undisputed first choice on the left-hand side of defence. He has been bar in the first few months after his arrival from Hull City for just £8 million in 2017. Robertson has been an indispensable member of Klopp's success at Anfield and for several years established himself as arguably the best in the world in his role. He has 58 Premier League assists to his name - the joint-most as a defender along with Trent Alexander-Arnold. Watching Robertson foray up and down the flank has been compelling.

Yet now he's aged 30, Liverpool will have to start looking at a potential replacement down the line. This season, Joe Gomez has deputised magnificently. Yet his natural position is in central defence and then on the right-hand side. Kostas Tsimikas is Robertson's natural understudy, as he has been since signing in 2020. The Greece international did sign a new long-term contract earlier this season and had a good spell in the team before suffering a broken collarbone in a 1-1 draw against Arsenal.

However, Tsimikas turns 28 in May so there is an argument that he's not quite regarded as ready to be the regular first choice while he may well want to be elsewhere.

Left-back was a perpetual problem position for Liverpool before Robertson's arrival. Alberto Moreno, Jose Enrique, Aly Cissokho and - last but by no means least - Paul Konchesky failed to hit the standard.

But Liverpool will require a replacement for Robertson at some point.