Liverpool haven’t pulled their punches in the transfer market this summer, and Arne Slot and sporting director Richard Hughes are still planning to throw a few more haymakers before the window slams shut.
Having won the Premier League with ease last summer, some might have felt the Reds should have kept their title-winning squad together, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing for Real Madrid and Luis Diaz on the cusp of signing for Bayern Munich, a £65.5m deal agreed, change is afoot.
And the Merseysiders have, of course, been busy with incomings. Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong make a new wide duo; Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike will redefine Liverpool’s frontline.
Giorgi Mamardashvili’s red gloves are on, one year after a £29m package was agreed with Valencia for their fast-rising shot-stopper.
However, despite Wirtz, 22, signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a British-record £116m fee, Liverpool are primed to smash the record which they set only one month ago, with Newcastle United striker Alexander Isak in FSG’s sights.
Why Liverpool want to sign Alexander Isak
The potential for Isak to complete the attacking set remains. It would be quite a thing, and has left many of Liverpool’s rivals incredulous. But the finances are there and if Darwin Nunez is sold, this dream could become a reality.
Napoli pulled out of their bid for the Uruguayan due to financial differences between the two clubs, but he still has suitors over in the Saudi Pro League and is open to getting on the flight to the Gulf nation.
Isak, it goes without saying, would stand as a significant upgrade. After all, due to his 27-goal campaign with the Magpies, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher declared him to be “the best striker in the Premier League right now.”
While Isak is ostensibly Diaz’s replacement, the Colombian is typically a high-speed wide player, only used by Slot last year as a makeshift striker due to the likes of Nunez flattering to deceive.
With this in mind, Liverpool might need another left-sided forward too.
Liverpool in for new winger
According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are preparing a mammoth bid for Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, who is anticipated to leave the Santiago Bernabeu after falling down in Xabi Alonso’s estimation, only starting one Club World Cup match.
Rodrygo, 24, would cost around €120m (£104m) to sign, but Los Blancos are indeed open to selling. Liverpool are putting a formal proposal together but Arsenal are also keen on the Brazilian.
Liverpool have also had Newcastle’s Anthony Gordon on their shortlist, but it’s highly unlikely Eddie Howe would grant his departure along with Isak, having priced the Three Lions star at £100m.
Why Liverpool should sign Rodrygo
Rodrygo is quite the player, and he ticks a lot of boxes for Slot’s Liverpool side. The Reds head coach demands fluidity and dynamism from his forwards, and he wants them to work hard too.
Rodrygo, hailed for his work-rate and selflessness by pundit Thierry Henry last season, would fit right in, especially as he yearns for more football on the left flank, as opposed to the right-hand side he has so often been deployed on under Carlo Ancelotti’s wing.
The right-footed has a wide span of skills to inflict damage on defenders, but his sharp goalscoring ability is an admirable thing, having been described by journalist Sam Tighe for having a “terrifyingly good” eye for the back of the net.
Playing him on the side which he favours, naturally, would elevate his performances. Slot will know this.
|
Rodrygo – Real Madrid Stats by Position (24/25) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Right winger |
29 |
7 |
4 |
|
Left winger |
12 |
6 |
6 |
|
Centre-forward |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
Slot will also know that Rodrygo could be deadly alongside Isak at number nine, with his dangerous goalscoring ability only one string to his bow, ranked as he was last season among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for pass completion, the top 14% for progressive carries and the top 21% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
Even coming off a ‘bad’ year, Rodrygo shone as one of the game’s finest forwards, certainly proving himself to be the “world-class superstar” that former teammate Luka Modric has said he is.
His big-game mentality attests to that, and in this way, he could help settle Isak by being his next Gordon, who shall remain at St. James’ Park.
Newcastle signed Gordon from Everton for £45m in January 2023, and he’s made the steady progress toward renown as one of the Premier League’s most talented wide forwards, with Bruno Guimaraes hailing his “unbelievable” ability to bring all the aspects of his game together.
Though Cody Gakpo is a fine player for Liverpool, Gordon plays the out-and-out role of a winger, and that’s something that Rodrygo can do too, even though he’s an excellent goalscorer.
In this way, Rodrygo could prove to be Isak’s dream partner, maximising Slot’s chances of winning the biggest prizes next year.
Gordon has even said that the Sweden striker is “the best in Europe”, when asked about what it is like to combine with him.
The English talent has become quite the player over the past several years, and he would be a credit to Slot’s side.
Across his two full campaigns at Newcastle, the 24-year-old has scored 22 goals and supplied 17 assists across all competitions. Quite an interesting balance of output.
Well, Rodrygo can match that, and actually eclipse both modes of direct involvement. Liverpool could do far worse than sign the Real Madrid mainstay this summer, who would effectively replace Diaz while bearing the specific qualities to create a wonderful partnership with Isak.
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