Slot could land “elite” Diaz upgrade who wants to sign for Liverpool

There’s probably a measure of disgruntlement on certain corners of Merseyside right now given Liverpool are yet to show their hand in the summer transfer market, with Arne Slot now sat in the big seat at Anfield.

The Reds were never going to lunge into the transfer window with reckless abandon; the plan was always to allow Slot to settle in and come to grips with the milieu at Liverpool before moves were made to sign first-team stars for lucrative figures.

In fairness, Liverpool don’t need to make wholesale changes nor, even, are there any gaping holes in the squad. Jurgen Klopp and Jorg Schmadtke addressed the malfunctioned midfield one year ago. Now, FSG will seek to target the right upgrade, for the right price, if, at all, the right chance emerges.

So far, candidly, it all seems a bit half-hearted. Teenage titan Leny Yoro represents a unique market opportunity and would be a coup, but there is an acceptance that Real Madrid will probably sign the Lille prodigy this summer, or next.

Liverpool appear to have had the opportunity to sign another top talent recently too, but whether they will actually drive the deal over the line remains to be seen.

Liverpool considering Premier League star

We’re talking, of course, about Anthony Gordon, with the Newcastle United winger being offered to the Reds last weekend as the Magpies were forced to sell some of their silver.

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool turned down the opportunity to sign the former Everton starlet after baulking at Eddie Howe’s outfit’s proposal of £50m plus the cross-player transfer of Jarell Quansah.

Instead, they are willing to put forward their own proposal which involves a fee, plus back-up goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, who has recently completed an exemplary breakout campaign on Merseyside.

Liverpool have not made an offer yet, but the interest is definite and the seed – in Gordon’s mind, at least – has been planted with the player reportedly open to moving back to Merseyside.

There’s more than a subtle sense that this one might not be dead and buried, with The Telegraph’s Luke Edwards revealing that Gordon’s head has indeed been turned by Liverpool’s interest.

Newcastle might seem adamant that any advances will be rebuffed over the next few months, and indeed, having placated PSR, the Toon are in a much stronger position than several days ago, but certain cogs could yet shift to change the narrative.

Anthony Gordon’s 23/24 season in numbers

Newcastle’s £45m acquisition of Gordon back in January 2023 was met with split views. The exciting Englishman had proved his undoubted talent at Goodison Park but had just posted seven goals and eight assists across 78 fixtures as a Toffee.

Concerns weren’t exactly allayed after he reached the end of the 2022/23 season with 16 United appearances with just one goal to show, scored against Chelsea on the final day of the campaign.

He’s since come alive. Praised for his “elite” year by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Gordon was crowned St. James’ Park’s Player of the Season after an exemplary campaign, scoring 12 goals and adding 11 assists across all competitions.

His blistering speed, daring demeanour and never-say-die attitude are all characteristics that will have arrested FSG’s number-crunching attention, and he would truly be a high-class addition to a talented Liverpool side in transition.

What Anthony Gordon would bring to Liverpool

Well, we’ve already touched on some of Gordon’s finest qualities: he’s fleet of foot, sharp of mind and incisive besides. Michael Edwards and FSG bosses might feel that in Luis Diaz, Liverpool boast one of Europe’s finest left-wingers (they’d be right, to be fair) but Gordon is something special and could be the boyhood fan’s homecoming to send the fanbase into rapture.

Let’s just forget that he was once garbed in Merseyside blue, ay. For all the noise surrounding Barcelona’s interest in Diaz, who is currently competing at the Copa America with Colombia, there has been little bearing real substance over these past few weeks, and until such intrigue turns into something more concrete, Liverpool will clearly wait.

But what a talent Slot would bring to his Anfield brood. Liverpool’s new head coach fields a control-heavy, energy-intense and purposeful pressing system that calls on wingers to play crucial roles. Gordon would bring pace and a blooming clinical quality that could be fostered further over the coming years.

The £60k-per-week Toon player could even prove to be Liverpool’s most impactful addition since Virgil van Dijk was signed from Southampton for £75m in January 2018, revolutionising Klopp’s backline.

Diaz is a good player but he’s not the sharpest winger when it comes to striking on goal. In fact, as the table above portrays, Gordon is actually playing at a superior level when taking in the full scope of the respective skill sets, marginally behind across several areas but proving himself the more prolific option, which is what Liverpool need.

He would bring newfound speed, energy and incisiveness to provide Liverpool with a deadly new dimension to complement the likes of Mohamed Salah and Darwin Nunez.

Given that no Premier League side created more big chances than Liverpool’s 102 last season, it doesn’t feel like replacing Diaz with Gordon, marginally behind on key passes averaged per game, would hold much sway in regard to the squad’s fluidity and zap.

Diaz has been a brilliant player for Liverpool since joining from Porto for an initial £37m fee in January 2022, but he’s 27 years old and would not be indispensable if the right price was canvassed Anfield’s way.

And if Gordon was grabbed as his replacement, Slot’s Liverpool might just rise to the fore.