It isn’t lengthy till foolish season begins, with that bizarre hinterland between the top of the 2024/25 marketing campaign and the opening of the summer season switch window already affecting Liverpool.
Solely, the current rumours that Florian Wirtz is on Anfield’s radar as Arne Slot works with sporting director Richard Hughes to find out the perfect technique to strengthen his title-winning facet this summer season.
As soon as upon a time, such a signing would have certainly felt absurd for the Reds, however this can be a new period on Merseyside and it is one to control, to make certain.
How a lot Wirtz might value Liverpool
Liverpool followers have been getting themselves acquainted with Wirtz this week. The Bayer Leverkusen star is being anticipated to go away this summer season, and, sure, he is on FSG’s watchlist.
The issue, naturally, is that Manchester Metropolis are additionally eager on signing the German playmaker up, with The Athletic even revealing on Wednesday that the Premier League behemoths have held talks with Wirtz’s representatives
Bayern Munich are nonetheless within the driving seat, however that is proving to be an open race, one which might finish with the 22-year-old at any of the locations.
Wirtz, who has plundered 31 objective contributions this 12 months after profitable final 12 months’s Bundesliga Participant of the Season as an invincible champion, would doubtless value Liverpool €150m (about £126m) to prise away from Leverkusen.
As with Alexander Isak, it will be silly to not have another lined up; fortunately, FSG do at that.
Liverpool’s dream Wirtz various
Liverpool clearly fancy a brand new playmaking midfielder, and although Wirtz is the cream of the crop, Xavi Simons is not far behind him.
Simons has gone from power to power within the Bundesliga, not one of many pack at Paris Saint-Germain and as an alternative a “famous person” who’s “destined for greatness,” as has been claimed by analyst Ben Mattinson.
The 22-year-old has been a key presence for RB Leipzig over the previous two seasons, scoring 20 targets and laying on 23 extra assists over 70 appearances.
Again in March, it was revealed that Liverpool had been making ready a £67 bid for Simons, and whereas that did not materialise, the curiosity is real and he is obtained his sights on the Premier League. Final Slot would like to work along with his countryman, who would match proper into his midfield.
That is one thing of a Dutch revolution, in spite of everything. Simons is destined for the Premier League, insofar as he desires to hitch and has the ability set to flourish on English soil.
Like Wirtz, Simons is snug throughout a wealth of attacking positions, maybe much more so. This season, he is flitted forwards and backwards from left wing and a extra central attacking place, efficient from each vantages.
So then, a younger and right-footed playmaker with a dynamic strategy. He ticks most of the identical containers as Wirtz, and he holds his personal from a technical standpoint too.
Bundesliga 24/25 – Florian Wirtz vs Xavi Simons | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (* per recreation) | Wirtz | Simons |
Matches (begins) | 30 (24) | 24 (24) |
Targets | 10 | 9 |
Assists | 12 | 7 |
Pictures (on course)* | 2.5 (1.2) | 1.9 (0.8) |
Cross completion | 82% | 83% |
Massive probabilities created | 17 | 12 |
Key passes* | 1.9 | 2.1 |
Dribbles* | 2.7 | 1.3 |
Ball recoveries* | 3.6 | 5.2 |
Tackles* | 1.1 | 1.1 |
Duels gained* | 5.3 | 5.4 |
All stats by way of Sofascore | ||
Truthfully, there is not all that a lot to distinguish the 2 playmakers. Perhaps Wirtz pips Simons, however the Netherlands worldwide has obtained greater than sufficient to make an actual affect on Slot’s facet.
Certainly, provided that Leipzig could be looking for out a smaller fortune for his sale too, it is one thing of a no brainer given the dimensions of the rebuild that’s wanted this summer season.
When you wanted an additional illustration of the little magician’s means, FBref have laid out much more of Simons’ spectacular information from the 2024/25 marketing campaign.
It is proven that he ranks among the many high 11% of attacking midfielders and wingers throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues over the previous 12 months for touches, the highest 6% for ball recoveries, the highest 12% for shot-creating actions, the highest 1% for by means of balls, the highest 12% for passes tried and the highest 13% for progressive passes per 90.
Shot-creating actions are items of play that result in a shot. These embrace moments similar to a go, take-on or foul being drawn.
Really, he is the most effective passers on the market. On condition that Simons has scored extra targets than he is assisted this season, furthermore, there’s much more pleasure certain to be emanating from the Reds camp, whose pursuit of Wirtz might cause them to Simons, and it is onerous to counsel they’d be considerably worse off for it.
He is withheld from mentioning him till this level, however Trent Alexander-Arnold’s anticipated transfer to Actual Madrid calls for a brand new elite-level playmaker to bolster Slot’s squad.
With a deal for Jeremie Frimpong reportedly within the closing phases, Liverpool have moved swiftly to safe competitors for Conor Bradley. However neither full-back represents the one-of-a-kind inventive high quality of Trent.
Slot is definitely intelligent to be shifting the playmaking focus right into a extra typical quantity ten berth. Whether or not this gambit proves to be successful stays to be seen, but when Wirtz and Simons are the targets, it is onerous to envisage all that a lot going mistaken for the Premier League champions.
It is an thrilling time to be a Liverpool fan.
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