Liverpool interest growing in “special” £85m talent

Liverpool are the champions of the Premier League as soon as once more. And what’s extra, Arne Slot has been backed by FSG this summer season as they put together to do it yet again.

Whereas the majority of switch exercise has been handled already on Merseyside, there’s extra to return, with Darwin Nunez the centre of ongoing talks between Liverpool and Napoli after a gap €55m (£48m) bid was rejected.

Many would hope that FSG are gearing as much as splash out the money on Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak, however the “world-class” goalscorer, as he has been described by pundit Alan Shearer, will probably show too costly.

And anyway, Slot has confirmed his skill to develop thrilling abilities into superstars. See the 22-year-old Ryan Gravenberch and Cody Gakpo.

Now, the Dutch coach is hoping to signal his subsequent model of the previous, whose meteoric rise final season led to him being topped the Premier League Younger Participant of the Season.

Liverpool’s subsequent prime switch targets

After lacking out on Dean Huijsen, who swapped Bournemouth for Actual Madrid after his £50m launch clause was met, it was clear from the early levels of the switch window that Liverpool are thinking about signing a centre-back.

Marc Guehi is the person on the prime of the buying listing, and whereas developments look like minimal for the time being, anticipate FSG to strive their luck earlier than the summer season window slams shut.

Liverpool want a brand new central defender, to make sure, however Slot is aware of that the 33-year-old Mohamed Salah will want better attacking help than he acquired final time period, virtually engineering the unbelievable Premier League success of 2023/24.

And certainly, Nunez’s forthcoming sale will demand that sporting director Richard Hughes indicators a successor, one who’s match to function Liverpool’s out-and-out frontman over the approaching years.

Properly, the Reds have simply the participant in thoughts, and their curiosity is starting to get stronger and stronger.

Liverpool with rising curiosity in new striker

As per switch insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool’s curiosity in Eintracht Frankfurt striker Hugo Ekitike is certainly getting extra intense as Nunez edges nearer to a switch to Napoli.

The Premier League champions have been among the many frontrunners for the 23-year-old in latest months, with Chelsea and Manchester United additionally eager on bagging his signature.

Nevertheless, the sticking level is that Frankfurt are completely happy to play hardball, seemingly unwilling to budge on their €100m (£85m) valuation.

What Hugo Ekitike would deliver to Liverpool

In 2022, Paris Saint-Germain signed a teenage Ekitike from Ligue 1 rivals Reims for a charge within the area of £30m. Newcastle had come near a deal however failed to shut it.

The Frenchman won’t have introduced all of it collectively for PSG, solely scoring 4 instances throughout 33 senior matches, however he is actually constructed himself again up in Germany, with analyst Ben Mattinson hailing him as “the most effective strikers on the market” after his 2024/25 time period with Frankfurt.

Notching 36 objective involvements throughout all competitions for Frankfurt final season, Ekitike is clearly a “particular expertise”, as has been famous by journalist Bence Bocsak.

But it surely’s his dynamism and fluency that makes him such a sexy possibility for a membership like Liverpool, ending the 2024/25 season ranked among the many prime 6% of strikers throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues for shot-creating actions, the highest 4% for each progressive carries and profitable take-ons, and the highest 20% for ball recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

The truth that he is extra full than Gravenberch was when he joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich in August 2023 bodes properly for his potential on the highest degree of the European recreation.

As you will note within the desk beneath, Gravenberch bloomed right into a midfielder of outstanding high quality and confidence final time period, sitting deep within the centre of the park despite early profession criticisms that he lacked the temperament and composure for such a job.

Wanting on the Dutchman’s good points below Slot’s wing final season, versus his much less outlined function when part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool, it is very straightforward to see that Slot’s tactical grasp introduced out the perfect in his younger compatriot.

The identical may very well be stated for Gakpo, in fact, however on condition that Ekitike is an thrilling younger participant from the Bundesliga who has beforehand struggled to deliver it collectively after a big-money transfer to a European superpower, he may emulate the silky holding midfielder.

And for sure, Ekitike has the technical skill to turn into the type of all-encompassing centre-forward that Slot needs to attach his frontline.

Given the excessive regard Ekitike is held in already, it is horrifying to contemplate what Slot would possibly handle to attain in elevating the weaker factors of his recreation and sharpening any blemishes which a rising expertise is of course going to bear.

Gravenberch, actually, has improved, having been branded a “passenger out of possession” by journalist Danny Corcoran throughout his maiden time period in English soccer.

He is now a participant of clean skill, one of many most interesting in Europe. Slot has earned his flowers, all proper, and he’ll obtain an entire bouquet if allowed to tinker away at Ekitike’s mechanics, shaping him right into a world-beater.

Expertise scout Jacek Kulig claimed that the Die Adler star “may attain world-class striker ranges” after his glorious marketing campaign, and if he strikes to Liverpool, his possibilities of this taking place will enhance tenfold.