A number of days on and Liverpool followers can nonetheless relaxation simple realizing Florian Wirtz performs for his or her soccer membership.
The Germany worldwide is just 22 however has already established himself as among the finest midfielders on the planet, instrumental in Bayer Leverkusen’s invincible Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal wins in 2023/24.
He hyperlinks proper again up with Jeremie Frimpong, whose £29.5m launch clause was activated final month, leaving the BayArena to turn into Arne Slot’s first recruit of the summer time.
Milos Kerkez is ready to observe, having made clear his pleasure of becoming a member of Liverpool forward of the 2025/26 marketing campaign, probably changing Andy Robertson because the 31-year-old considers a change of setting in La Liga with Atletico Madrid.
The Reds additionally desire a centre-back to exchange Jarell Quansah, who is ready to affix Leverkusen. Nonetheless, it is a centre-forward Liverpool wanted when heading into the market, they usually want one nonetheless.
Why Liverpool are urgent to signal a brand new striker
Farewell, Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan striker hasn’t really left the membership but, but it surely’s been extensively reported that Liverpool need to offload him, and certainly, the 25-year-old is hoping to maneuver too.
Napoli are focusing their efforts on bringing Nunez over to Serie A, and you may envisage him doing effectively on the Italian scene. He is a maverick, energetic, vibrant. Nonetheless, Liverpool wished one thing extra prolific to marry into that athletic underlayer which has by no means fairly clicked within the Premier League.
What Liverpool want is their subsequent Fernando Torres. Simply achieved, in fact.
As soon as upon a time, Rafa Benitez claimed Nunez, who joined Liverpool from Benfica for an preliminary £64m (the potential £85m determine has not been met) in 2022, moved with echoes of the silky Spaniard, admiring his motion, tempo and instinctiveness. He even declared that El Nino “was not an important finisher” originally of his Merseyside profession, signing from Atletico for a £20m price, aged 23, in 2007.
Ah, to have one other incarnation of the long-lasting ahead. Nicely, FSG may need their sights set on simply the participant.
Liverpool put together bid for brand new striker
Liverpool’s curiosity in Alexander Isak will come as no shock, however Spanish studies consider that curiosity might be taken a step additional within the coming weeks, with a bid being ready for the Newcastle United centre-forward.
Actually, Sunday’s report reveals a proposal price €120m (£103m) is being packaged up within the Merseyside submit workplace, able to ship over to Tyneside and check Newcastle’s resolve.
The Athletic’s David Ornstein has beforehand allayed Magpies fears of a summer time sale, with Eddie Howe’s success in successful final yr’s Carabao Cup and qualifying for the Champions League strengthening his facet’s place.
Nonetheless, Liverpool aren’t going away…
Why Liverpool need Alexander Isak
Newcastle may be assured that they will hold Isak at St. James’ Park, and certainly, a current report from the Telegraph claims that Liverpool must pay an earth-shattering £200m price to prise him away.
Let’s hope such claims are large of the mark, and merely propaganda to discourage hungry suitors corresponding to Liverpool. Isak, in spite of everything, has been thought to be “the perfect striker on the planet” over the previous yr by analyst Raj Chohan, having scored 27 targets throughout 42 matches for Newcastle.
His killer intuition is a factor to behold, however Isak is a lot greater than a mere marksman. As per FBref, he ranked among the many prime 16% of strikers over Europe’s prime 5 leagues for shot-creating actions, the highest 13% for progressive passes, the highest 17% for key passes, the highest 7% for progressive carries and the highest 8% for profitable take-on per 90.
A key cross is a cross that immediately results in a shot on the opponent’s aim.
He is thought to be one thing of a nightmare for defenders, and in that means, Isak is paying homage to Torres in his Liverpool heyday, so harmful and dynamic as he drives forwards and strikes on aim (or sparks neat interaction with a teammate).
Steven Gerrard as soon as known as Torres “the perfect striker on the planet”, and it was for greater than his potential to seek out the again of the online. The Spain star had an unnatural potential to attain with any instrument: proper foot, left; fizzing lengthy pictures or poaching from shut vary; discovering house and leaping to information in a cross along with his head.
Isak mirrors this, with pundit Alan Shearer dubbing him “the entire striker” and a “conduit” for his teammates, as is evidenced by FBref’s knowledge.
Taking a look at how Isak and Torres match up throughout their respective Liverpool and Newcastle careers, there is definitely a semblance of output on the prolific entrance too.
Alexander Isak (NUFC) vs Fernando Torres (LFC) | ||
|---|---|---|
# | Isak | Torres |
Video games | 109 | 142 |
Objectives | 62 | 81 |
Purpose charge | 0.57 | 0.57 |
Assists | 11 | 19 |
Help charge | 0.10 | 0.13 |
G/A charge | 0.67 | 0.70 |
Information through Transfermarkt | ||
Remarkably, Isak is scoring at precisely the identical charge as Liverpool’s one-time celebrity, whereas marginally behind on the speed of assists. It’s no marvel to see him described as a “horrifying” ahead by LaLiga host Rimedi.
When you think about how each forwards’ kinds are outlined by swift mobility and an emphasis on clever workforce play, enhancing the squad’s total tactical synergy, it turns into clearer nonetheless that Liverpool would hit the jackpot with the Sweden worldwide.
Moreover, like Torres, Isak arrived within the Premier League from Spain, becoming a member of Newcastle from Actual Sociedad for a club-record £63m (Torres turned Liverpool’s file arrival when he joined all these years in the past).
It is unclear simply how Newcastle would react to a proposal virtually midway under final week’s revelations that PIF are in search of £200m to even contemplate parting methods with their talisman, however the truth that a bid is being ready in any respect tells us two issues.
One: Slot, Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes all in live performance as to the hopes of signing a striker this summer time; and two: not solely is Isak proper on the prime of the wist record, however there seems to be a grain of confidence that this saga would possibly simply attain a constructive conclusion for the Anfield facet.
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