Liverpool pre-season report: Who has impressed? What have we learned ahead of Arne Slot's Premier League title defence?

Premier League champions Liverpool rounded out their pre-season tour of Asia by beating J1 League side Yokohama F Marinos 3-1 at Nissan Stadium on Wednesday.

New £79m striker Hugo Ekitike made his debut for the Reds, and featured alongside fellow summer signings such as Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez in the first half.

Arne Slot also gave significant minutes to youngsters Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni, who have both impressed throughout pre-season, while giving Wataru Endo the captain's armband as he ran out to a huge crowd reaction in his home nation.

Luis Diaz secured a transfer to Bayern Munich for a fee of £66.5m this week, while Darwin Nunez, who has also been linked with a move away from the club this window, made another appearance in the frontline.

Here, Sports Mole takes a look at what can be gleaned from Liverpool's pre-season so far, and which stars have impressed.

Liverpool's exciting academy cohort

Amongst a field of seasoned professionals, teenager Ngumoha stood out once again, and his direct dribbles from the left wing were a constant nightmare for the Marinos backline.

The former Chelsea academy player was also on the scoresheet when he carried the ball from the halfway line on a quick attack, and instead of passing to his more senior teammates, cut inside and fired a powerful strike beyond the goalkeeper.

Arriving from Cobham last season, the 16-year-old came with the reputation of being one of the most promising English talents, and from the limited first-team minutes that he was given in 2024-25 and his showcase in pre-season, that claim seems to hold true.

The Merseysiders are said to be in the market for a young forward given the departure of Diaz, but perhaps Slot could give Ngumoha the chance to play a backup role this term instead of splashing the cash.

Another academy star that has been making headlines is midfielder Trey Nyoni, and his composure and decision-making in the centre of the park appear to be far beyond the norm for a player in his age group.

The 18-year-old put the Reds in front when he got on the end of a Jeremie Frimpong cross to volley home his side's second of the match, and he could provide some additional cover in the centre of the park in 2025-26.

Dominik Szoboszlai role change?

Dominik Szoboszlai was a key part of the Liverpool midfield that helped win the Premier League title last season, but his place in the XI as a number 10 has come into question since the arrival of Wirtz.

The German talisman has so far taken up a central role - though he acted as a false nine against AC Milan - and that has forced Szoboszlai to play in new positions.

In a behind-closed-doors friendly against Stoke, the Hungarian was deployed as a right-back, and he was used on the left side of a double pivot against Milan.

Against Yokohama, the midfielder featured alongside Ryan Gravenberch in a deeper position that allowed him to influence play in areas that he is more comfortable in, and his running power could be vital for covering the spaces left by Liverpool's new-look attack.

Perhaps Szoboszlai might find his minutes in the team split across multiple positions, coming in for Wirtz when he needs a break, and rotating with Alexis Mac Allister in Slot's double pivot.

How did Liverpool's new signings fare?

Ekitike made his debut at Nissan Stadium, and though he was not on the scoresheet, he showed some promise and almost scored from an improvised flick in the first half.

Slot will also be pleased that the striker got some important minutes in so quickly as he hopes to build chemistry between his forwards ahead of Liverpool's Premier League title defence.

Elsewhere, Kerkez started next to Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley in what may represent the Reds' first-choice backline for the upcoming season, while Frimpong was brought on in the second half and provided an excellent assist.

The Dutchman's former Bayer Leverkusen teammate Wirtz also started the game, and as well as influencing play across the pitch, he levelled the score with his first goal for the club.

Giorgi Mamardashvili had a relatively quiet game, but he did make a great save in the first half and was solid on the ball as he put the weekend's mix-up with Kostas Tsimikas in the past.

What transfer business do Liverpool need to do to retain the Premier League title?

The champions boast an incredibly strong side that were able to coast through the final few weeks of the campaign and still canter to the title, but given the departure of Jarell Quansah, the Reds still have holes to fill in the squad.

In terms of backline reinforcements, Slot's team have been linked with a move for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi, though it remains to be seen whether he will be available for a cut-price deal considering that the FA Cup winners are said to be demanding £50m despite the centre-back having just one year left on his contract.

Up top, the reported number one target for Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes is Newcastle's Alexander Isak, and the Swedish striker's arrival would make the Reds extremely strong at centre-forward after the arrival of Ekitike.

The addition of the former Eintracht Frankfurt man will no doubt have eased some concerns about the club's depth in the forward line, though another attacker may be needed now that Diaz has signed for Bayern.

If Liverpool succeed in bringing their incredible summer transfer business to a close by signing Isak and adding to their centre-back ranks, then they would surely be favourites to retain the title.