Slot wants to sign £50m Nunez & Isak hybrid at Liverpool

At the beginning of the season, Arne Slot confronted just a few questions relating to his true tactical integrity and the way a lot of Liverpool’s rip-roaring begin was a product of Jurgen Klopp’s legacy.

For positive, some claimed the Dutchman was driving on his predecessor’s coattails, however such arguments have been lowered to flaking, brittle deadwood as Liverpool enter the brand new 12 months confidently atop the Premier League and Champions League tables.

Klopp’s residual ferocity, his counter-pressing snap, may be discovered on this present Liverpool workforce. It is like a type of lenticular work that shift when transferring to totally different views.

Optical illusions on the pitch may give the looks of Klopp’s system, however make no mistake, Slot may be very a lot his personal man. He has willed and formed the Anfield facet into his personal design regardless of the load of the duty and the bereftness of exercise throughout the summer time switch window.

Sidenote: See the desk above; Liverpool are extra relaxed of their build-up, much less frenetic and energetic. Nonetheless, they’re scoring extra and conceding much less. That is the marker of Slot’s genius, calming issues down by phases whereas guaranteeing that his facet retain the power to ramp it as much as the nth diploma when the scenario calls for.

Federico Chiesa was snapped up for an attention grabbing £12.5m however has solely featured 4 occasions as he battles accidents. With Darwin Nunez’s future considerably unclear too, FSG might authorise a press release signing this 12 months – and maybe even this month.

Liverpool eyeing new ahead

As per Sky Sports activities, Liverpool have shortlisted Brentford ahead Bryan Mbeumo and will transfer to signal him this 12 months. Whereas the door isn’t closed on January spending, resolving Anfield’s contractual considerations is the urgent concern.

Mbeumo’s a prized signature after his prolific performances within the Premier League this time period, with dependable experiences suggesting that Newcastle United are additionally within the race and prepared to pay £50m this month, although they’re cautious of PSR restrictions.

Liverpool boast the world’s finest proper winger in Mohamed Salah however with Chiesa homesick, peripheral and searching for a manner out, this may very well be the right transfer to bolster Slot’s thriving frontline.

Bryan Mbeumo’s season in numbers

Mbeumo has been part of Brentford’s exceptional journey beneath Thomas Frank’s administration, notching 105 objective contributions over 222 appearances.

Becoming a member of from Troyes in French Ligue 2 in 2019, Mbeumo has achieved modern-legend standing in west London and, nonetheless solely 24 years outdated, will really feel that his finest days lie forward.

And rightly so. Considered one of many Premier League’s most enjoyable forwards, his objective towards Arsenal on New 12 months’s Day was his forty fifth for the reason that begin of the 2022/23 marketing campaign, putting him seventh within the division since that timeframe, instantly behind Alexander Isak.

He is all the time there, searching down objectives, however he is not only a marksman. As per FBref, Mbeumo truly ranks among the many prime 9% of positional friends within the Premier League this season for shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the highest 12% for progressive carries and profitable take-ons and the highest 14% for tackles per 90. He is the entire bundle.

Actually, such metrics have seen him in comparison with gamers equivalent to Isak and Nunez, amongst forwards in his place throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues. The Liverpool striker has his faults, to make certain, however he is nonetheless imbued with a sort of electrical energy and chaoticness that satisfied Liverpool to pay for his companies.

And Isak. Nicely. Would not Liverpool prefer to signal the sort of ahead who might replicate among the Newcastle man’s high quality?

A Darwin Nunez & Alexander Isak hybrid

Think about a participant carrying properties distinctive to each Nunez and Isak. Think about the sort of participant you’d get. Mbeumo may very well be that sort of striker for Liverpool, one who can shift between quantity 9 and the flank.

It may very well be an irresistible recipe for fulfillment. In any case, Slot has demonstrated by Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz that he’s prepared to subject large gamers in central placing roles to nice impact.

For instance, Mbeumo has scored 20 Premier League objectives for the reason that summer time of 2023, lacking solely 14 massive probabilities in that timeframe, as per Sofascore.

Isak, one of many deadliest finishers on the continent, has missed 30 massive probabilities since 2023/24, albeit scoring 33 objectives since. Nunez represents the converse, having scored simply 13 Premier League objectives within the mentioned timeframe, lacking, nonetheless, 30 massive probabilities, embarrassingly matching Isak.

It is grim studying for Nunez acolytes, albeit they will take solace in the truth that Liverpool’s agent of chaos is a thorny buyer, utilizing his athletic type and dynamism to assist his workforce towards their objective.

He ranks among the many prime 14% of forwards throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues over the previous 12 months for progressive carries and the highest 3% for tackles per 90, which is spectacular, however we are able to see that Mbeumo would implement a tactical technique that might negate Nunez’s function, his experience whereas bringing an entire new leading edge to enhance the likes of Salah and Cody Gakpo.

Whereas Mbeumo would not present Liverpool with the ball-striking potential of Isak, they might mimic it in their very own kind. That is sufficient. Greater than sufficient. Liverpool maybe boast the best frontline within the nation beneath Slot, and Mbeumo, described as an “output machine” by producer Michael Johnston, would make it even higher. It is so simple as that.