Liverpool have not pulled their punches within the switch market this summer time, and Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are nonetheless planning to throw just a few extra haymakers earlier than the window slams shut.
Having gained the Premier League with ease final summer time, some might need felt the Reds ought to have stored their title-winning squad collectively, however with Trent Alexander-Arnold now enjoying for Actual Madrid and Luis Diaz on the cusp of signing for Bayern Munich, a £65.5m deal agreed, change is afoot.
And the Merseysiders have, after all, been busy with incomings. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong make a brand new vast duo; Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will redefine Liverpool’s frontline.
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s purple gloves are on, one yr after a £29m package deal was agreed with Valencia for his or her fast-rising shot-stopper.
Nonetheless, regardless of Wirtz, 22, signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m price, Liverpool are primed to smash the file which they set just one month in the past, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in FSG’s sights.
Why Liverpool need to signal Alexander Isak
The potential for Isak to finish the attacking set stays. It might be fairly a factor, and has left lots of Liverpool’s rivals incredulous. However the funds are there and if Darwin Nunez is bought, this dream might grow to be a actuality.
Napoli pulled out of their bid for the Uruguayan as a consequence of monetary variations between the 2 golf equipment, however he nonetheless has suitors over within the Saudi Professional League and is open to getting on the flight to the Gulf nation.
Isak, it goes with out saying, would stand as a big improve. In spite of everything, as a consequence of his 27-goal marketing campaign with the Magpies, Sky Sports activities’ Jamie Carragher declared him to be “the very best striker within the Premier League proper now.”
Whereas Isak is ostensibly Diaz’s alternative, the Colombian is usually a high-speed vast participant, solely utilized by Slot final yr as a makeshift striker because of the likes of Nunez flattering to deceive.
With this in thoughts, Liverpool would possibly want one other left-sided ahead too.
Liverpool in for brand new winger
In line with Spanish reviews, Liverpool are getting ready a mammoth bid for Actual Madrid’s Rodrygo, who’s anticipated to go away the Santiago Bernabeu after falling down in Xabi Alonso’s estimation, solely beginning one Membership World Cup match.
Rodrygo, 24, would value round €120m (£104m) to signal, however Los Blancos are certainly open to promoting. Liverpool are placing a proper proposal collectively however Arsenal are additionally eager on the Brazilian.
Liverpool have additionally had Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their shortlist, however it’s extremely unlikely Eddie Howe would grant his departure together with Isak, having priced the Three Lions star at £100m.
Why Liverpool ought to signal Rodrygo
Rodrygo is sort of the participant, and he ticks a variety of bins for Slot’s Liverpool facet. The Reds head coach calls for fluidity and dynamism from his forwards, and he needs them to work exhausting too.
Rodrygo, hailed for his work-rate and selflessness by pundit Thierry Henry final season, would match proper in, particularly as he yearns for extra soccer on the left flank, versus the right-hand facet he has so usually been deployed on beneath Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.
The correct-footed has a large span of abilities to inflict injury on defenders, however his sharp goalscoring capacity is an admirable factor, having been described by journalist Sam Tighe for having a “terrifyingly good” eye for the again of the online.
Taking part in him on the facet which he favours, naturally, would elevate his performances. Slot will know this.
Rodrygo – Actual Madrid Stats by Place (24/25) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Place | Apps | Objectives | Assists |
Proper winger | 29 | 7 | 4 |
Left winger | 12 | 6 | 6 |
Centre-forward | 8 | 0 | 0 |
Stats through Transfermarkt | |||
Slot may also know that Rodrygo could possibly be lethal alongside Isak at quantity 9, together with his harmful goalscoring capacity just one string to his bow, ranked as he was final season among the many high 2% of positional friends throughout Europe’s high 5 leagues final season for cross completion, the highest 14% for progressive carries and the highest 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
Even coming off a ‘unhealthy’ yr, Rodrygo shone as one of many sport’s most interesting forwards, actually proving himself to be the “world-class famous person” that former teammate Luka Modric has mentioned he’s.
His big-game mentality attests to that, and on this approach, he might assist settle Isak by being his subsequent Gordon, who shall stay at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, and he is made the regular progress towards renown as one of many Premier League’s most proficient vast forwards, with Bruno Guimaraes hailing his “unbelievable” capacity to convey all of the points of his sport collectively.
Although Cody Gakpo is a positive participant for Liverpool, Gordon performs the out-and-out position of a winger, and that is one thing that Rodrygo can do too, though he is a wonderful goalscorer.
On this approach, Rodrygo might show to be Isak’s dream companion, maximising Slot’s probabilities of successful the largest prizes subsequent yr.
Gordon has even mentioned that the Sweden striker is “the very best in Europe”, when requested about what it’s like to mix with him.
The English expertise has grow to be fairly the participant over the previous a number of years, and he could be a credit score to Slot’s facet.
Throughout his two full campaigns at Newcastle, the 24-year-old has scored 22 objectives and equipped 17 assists throughout all competitions. Fairly an attention-grabbing steadiness of output.
Nicely, Rodrygo can match that, and truly eclipse each modes of direct involvement. Liverpool might do far worse than signal the Actual Madrid mainstay this summer time, who would successfully exchange Diaz whereas bearing the precise qualities to create an exquisite partnership with Isak.
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The Reds might lose a key man.
