FIFA 17 finally came into our lives on Thursday, and fans up and down the country will no doubt be considering how best they might improve their team’s chances of success on the game.

With the game now out and up for grabs, Shoot! takes a look at which players Liverpool fans should be looking to sign in a bid to improve the squad that Jurgen Klopp has thus far assembled.

The former Borussia Dortmund manager, taking charge of his first full season at Anfield, brought in a few names during the summer, such as Sadio Mane and Georginio Wijnaldum, but there still appears to be a few areas that need strengthening if the Reds are to fight for major trophies.

Here are FIVE players that Liverpool fans should add to their squad on FIFA 17 to make them a force to be reckoned with once again in English football…

Jose Luis Gaya

It seems pretty clear that, following the departure of Jose Enrique in the summer, Liverpool are in need of a left-back.

Alberto Moreno is a decent player, but if Reds fans can bring in Valencia full-back Jose Luis Gaya, it would be a monumental upgrade.

Not only would he be an upgrade now – the 21-year-old has got a higher overall rating, 80 in comparison to Moreno’s 77 – but it could be a great investment for the future, as his potential could take him towards the middle or latter regions of the 80s.  

His pace is frighteningly good – 90 sprint speed and 85 acceleration – and he is adept at playing both as a full-back and a wing-back if needed.

In reality, he signed a new contract in 2015 which has a hefty release clause but, if Liverpool fans want to be challenging for titles, players aren’t going to come cheap!

Kostas Manolas

The other area Liverpool fans may feel is slightly weak is in central defence.

New signing Joel Matip and for Southampton man, Dejan Lovren are solid defenders, but are not quite as good as AS Roma centre-back, Kostas Manolas.

The 25-year-old has a higher overall rating than the aforementioned two, and trumps both in terms of defending and physicality traits, but it is his pace which would benefit Liverpool greatly.

Lovren and Matip’s comparitable lack of pace would be exposed by some of the quicker wingers and forwards on the game – with ratings of 58 and 72 respectively – but that would not be an issue for the Greek international, whose 80 rating would somewhat minimise that threat.

Kamil Glik

If you cannot get Manolas to Merseyside, it might be worth turning your attention to Monaco centre-back Kamil Glik.

A similarly robust and hard-working defender, Glik would be an upgrade on the defensive options at the club.

Although he’s not quite as quick as Manolas, his physical attributes are very impressive, highlighted by a strength rating of 88.

The only issue is that Glik has recently signed for Monaco, so you may have to wait until at least January to get a deal over the line.

Nevertheless, if you are able to get both these defenders through the door, they could form a potentially title-winning partnership at the back for Liverpool.

Timothy Fosu-Mensah

A real long-shot maybe, but Manchester United’s Timothy Fosu-Mensah has the potential to be one of the best midfielders on the game.

Arguably, the central defensive midfield department is not Liverpool’s strongest and, with Lucas almost 30, you will need someone to come in and perhaps partner Jordan Henderson and Kevin Stewart in the future.

Fosu-Mensah could be that man.

Currently with a rating of 71, the 18-year-old has the potential to reach the upper echelons of the 80s.

He is physically strong and very pacey but, more importantly, the six key statistics are all very solid; there’s no obvious weakness, and that provides an excellent foundation to go on and fulfil his potential.

You may have to spend a bit of money to get him out of Old Trafford, but he’s certainly someone to target.

Adalberto Penaranda

A player Liverpool were linked with back in January, and someone Reds fans should look to bring in on FIFA 17 to bolster the attacking options.

The 19-year-old is already rated at 76 and, although that is much lower than most of the forwards at Anfield, his potential rating is 86, which is higher than the majority of those forwards.

The attacking essentials are already there. His positioning and finishing are pretty good, and he is very quick – 85 acceleration and 83 sprint speed. Add that to the fact that he is extremely competent with the ball at his feet, and he would be a nightmare to defend against.

He’s currently on loan at Udinese from fellow Premier League side Watford, which could prolong the deal, but Reds fans should certainly do all they can to get the youngster to Merseyside.