Liverpool offered £30m “beast” who could outstrip Nunez

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Virgil van Dijk and Mohamed Salah are arguably Liverpool’s most important and influential players, and all may depart on free transfers at the end of the campaign.

Liverpool’s summer spending (or lack thereof) has left a disquieting air around the fanbase, though contextualising the situation is important.

Arne Slot inherited a top-class squad from Jurgen Klopp and has proven throughout an impressive pre-season and opening-day victory over Ipswich Town in the Premier League that he has the gumption and tactical sharpness to succeed.

There is also a reluctance to adopt the scattergun approach that has proved ineffective for several nameless rivals, instead, the right player, should an opportunity arise, will be pursued.

Liverpool’s late-stage transfer plans

Liverpool have never been the thriftiest of spenders under FSG, but there’s no doubt that an addition or two could make a world of difference for Slot.

Having recently completed sales of Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Bobby Clark – with more fringe outgoings expected – the Reds are banking a hefty sum this summer, and must redirect the transfer cannon toward a layer of depth.

Liverpool are stepping back into the revamped Champions League and will face a catalogue of gruelling fixtures in a league-table format, so it’s likely that should Joe Gomez be sold, a new centre-back will be brought in.

A holding midfielder is also coveted on Merseyside, but a recent update from transfer insider Graeme Bailey reveals that Liverpool could actually strengthen further upfield, with Atletico Madrid’s Samu Omorodion offered to the Reds.

Chelsea are out of the equation after looming near completing a deal earlier in the window, but Aston Villa are also admirers and will rival Liverpool for a £30m transfer – FSG need to weigh up quickly whether to get the move done.

Why Samu Omorodion rejected Chelsea

Omorodion is scarcely into his 20th year but has already garnered quite the reputation in Spain, with the Atletico Madrid striker having made his mark on loan at Deportivo Alaves last season, bagging eight goals and an assist across 34 La Liga matches (21 starts).

It’s a little convoluted, but Omorodion actually started the 2023/24 campaign with a goalscoring performance against Atletico Madrid, bagging for Granada during the league opener before convincing Diego Simeone and his crew to activate his €6m (about £5m) buyout clause.

He hasn’t actually featured for Los Colchoneros but his performances with Alaves did enough to entice Chelsea, though the move fell apart after differences in financial technicalities.

Reports from Spain suggested that Omorodion had rejected the Blues after they attempted to buy 50% of his rights, and now Liverpool could be free to complete a move themselves.

The door is now open for Liverpool to complete the transfer and sharpen Slot’s frontline to a fine point, but whether he will sign remains to be seen.

Why Liverpool should sign Samu Omorodion

The interminable wait for that elusive first signing goes on. Liverpool have money to spend, though whether a deal will be sanctioned is another matter entirely.

The more pragmatic side of the argument would point toward Anfield’s first-class frontline, with depth on the left and at centre-forward. Salah’s possible departure and a lack of actual alternative on the right flank would suggest that there lies the pressing concern.

Omorodion is pretty much exclusive to the No. 9 position, but he would offer something different in that regard, with Cody Gakpo, Diogo Jota and even Darwin Nunez more fluid in their positional value.

Spanish-Nigerian striker Omorodion has the pace and raw physicality to thrive in the Premier League while providing Slot with an out-and-out striker to shape over the coming years, having already been hailed as a “beast” by scout Antonio Mango.

His shifty movements and agility highlight the framework for a career of success, and while the powerful 6 foot 4 star’s raw nature saw him miss 19 big chances despite only scoring nine in the Spanish top flight last term, it does suggest that he could outstrip Nunez.

Nunez joined Liverpool from SL Benfica in a move rising to a club-record £85m figure, but the 25-year-old’s wastefulness across his two campaigns has left plenty to be desired.

Indeed, the Uruguay international has converted just 20 of his 67 big chances in the league for Liverpool, with his repeated efforts skewing every which way.

He missed 27 big chances last season alone in the Premier League, with his 11-goal haul only two strikes higher than Omorodion’s tally.

Five years the Atleti starlet’s senior, it makes a telling comment on the respective skillsets. Omorodion is young and unrefined; it’s nothing to worry about that he’s not yet a polished goalscorer of the highest standard.

Nunez is an incredibly dynamic and influential forward with a bundle of ways to inflict pain on his opponents, but he will need to improve swiftly under Slot, lest he lose his place in the Anfield squad.

And given that Liverpool’s Dutch head coach has already proven that he has a ruthless streak about him, there’s every possibility that he will move to sign Omorodion before the end of the month, for the young striker could truly grow into one of the Premier League’s finest, boasting all the natural elements to do just that.