The Reds boss is keen to build on their title challenge by adding to the summer signings so far of Rickie Lambert and Emre Can
Liverpool boss Brendan Rodgers believes “hungry” additions hold the key to his team going one better in the Premier League next season.
Rodgers led Liverpool to within touching distance of their first top-flight title for 24 years last term, with the club eventually finishing second – just two points behind champions Manchester City.
Liverpool earned many plaudits for their swashbuckling brand of attacking football, which saw them plunder 101 goals in the Premier League thanks largely to the goalscoring prowess of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge.
The Merseyside outfit have finished second twice before in the Premier League era – in 2001-02 and 2008-09 – but failed to build on those campaigns.
Liverpool have already sealed deals to sign Rickie Lambert and Emre Can since the end of last season, with the likes of Adam Lallana, Alberto Moreno and Xherdan Shaqiri also heavily linked with moves to Anfield.
And Rodgers feels recruiting players with the right technical and mental attributes is essential if Liverpool are to avoid making the same mistakes as years gone by in 2014-15.
“What do we need to ensure we kick on? We need to ensure we continue with our thinking in terms of the types of players we’re going to bring in,” the Northern Irishman told the Liverpool Echo.
“We want to bring in players who are hungry – they must have the ambition to want to come in and succeed here.
“We need players who there can be no doubts about their quality.
“We’re in a position now where we’re going straight into the group stage of the Champions League and we’re going into the Premier League next season with an expectation and a belief that we can win the league.
“We need players that those qualities – that belief, players who are willing to improve and who are hungry to improve themselves.
“If we can get a number of signings with that profile then we can go on and build on last season … those players who are coming in need to be capable starters.
“They have to be to the level that we require to perform. That is absolutely key for us this summer.”