With Arne Slot looking to make his mark, Liverpool could reportedly reunite the Dutchman with a player who starred under his guidance at Feyenoord last season.
Liverpool transfer news
It could yet be a busy summer for the Reds, who must add the finishing touches to Liverpool 2.0 to ensure that Slot picks up where Jurgen Klopp left off. The German finished third in the Premier League and won the Carabao Cup in his final campaign, and reported summer transfer targets such as Teun Koopmeiners should go a long way in achieving similar, if not more, next season.
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Arne Slot loves a winger and he might just find the perfect signing in this Premier League phenomenon.
The Atalanta midfielder worked under Slot at AZ Alkmaar and is set to play alongside Virgil van Dijk and Cody Gakpo for the Netherlands at Euro 2024. It is there that the trio could become familiar with each other in what may prove to be crucial as the transfer window progresses. What could also help is the fact that the midfielder has already enjoyed a successful Anfield audition when Atalanta shocked the Reds to win 3-0 last season.
However, Koopmeiners may not be the summer’s only familiar face through the door for Slot, who may yet be handed the perfect first arrival. According to Luke Edwards of The Telegraph, Liverpool are interested in signing Yankuba Minteh from Newcastle United this summer in a deal that could cost up to £40m.
The winger spent last season on loan at Feyenoord, where he earned Slot’s praises. The new Liverpool boss said (via FatuNetwork): “He certainly doesn’t lack self-confidence. His willingness to give everything is enormous. When we see his statistics, it is really impressive. Minteh ran more sprint meters against Ajax in an hour than many players in the two games. He is incredibly fast. And he wants it so badly.”
Now, Liverpool could take advantage of Newcastle’s PSR concerns to land a player who knows all about playing a starring role under Slot.
“Fast” Minteh can ease potential Diaz blow
Whilst Luis Diaz’s Liverpool future still uncertain amid links to Barcelona, Liverpool could ease any potential departure blow by welcoming a ready-made replacement in Minteh this summer. The 19-year-old winger is far from the finished product, but the signs are there that he’d be more than worth the gamble at the early stages of a fresh Anfield era.
|
League stats 23/24 (via FBref) |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat |
Yankuba Minteh |
Luis Diaz |
|
Goals |
10 |
8 |
|
Assists |
5 |
5 |
|
Expected Goals |
9.8 |
11.9 |
|
Ball Recoveries |
77 |
127 |
What instantly stands out is just how clinical Minteh was in front of goal last season, even narrowly outperforming his expected goals rate. However, where the Newcastle gem was clinical, Diaz was wasteful, underperforming his expected goals by over three xG in what proved costly in the Reds’ pursuit of title glory. It would be a massive step up for the Gambian, but Slot appears to know how to get the best out of him.
So if Diaz does depart in the months ahead, Liverpool can quickly turn that exit into a positive by swapping the Colombia international for a future star who has already outperformed his potential predecessor. Given that a deal to sign Minteh would also weaken Newcastle, it is one that Liverpool should go for this summer.
