A giant summer season of change is forward at Liverpool, with the eight-and-a-half yr tenure of Jurgen Klopp coming to an finish.
The German is bidding farewell to Merseyside to be able to step away from the pressures of elite-level administration, and is anticipated to get replaced by Feyenoord boss Arne Slot, for whom a deal has already been agreed.
Nothing has been made official on the time of writing, however it’s nearly assured that Slot will probably be following within the footsteps of his beleaguered fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who’s swimming with the sharks at Manchester United after a really up and down two-season spell.
Whereas there’s close to certainty on the managerial entrance, the identical cannot be mentioned for some key personnel at Liverpool.
Hypothesis is rife over the long-term futures of Virgil van Dijk and Saudi Professional League goal Mohamed Salah, each of whom are out of contract at Anfield subsequent yr, however one different identify that is crept into the switch headlines of late is Darwin Nunez.
A club-record £85m buy (complete package deal, bonuses included) from Benfica in June 2022, Nunez was anticipated to realize huge issues on Merseyside. He’d scored 34 objectives in his last season in Portugal and seemingly had all of the attributes to hit the bottom operating within the Premier League.
There’s been patches of brilliance from Nunez within the two years which have adopted and nice use of his tempo, athleticism and chaotic unpredictability. However most of the time he is didn’t ship within the huge moments, lacking clear-cut probabilities in entrance of purpose time and time once more – the form of probabilities you need to take if you wish to win Premier League titles and trophies on the continent.
Nunez’s different efficiency degree has meant his place as a starter has not at all times been assured, and his alternatives could have been restricted additional had Diogo Jota not continued to be cursed by damage.
Barcelona have been advised a shock exit route, as they put together for all times after Robert Lewandowski, and the 24-year-old’s determination to take away all Liverpool associated content material from his Instagram account has solely added additional gas to the hearsay fireplace.
The query is, have been Nunez to cost out of the Anfield door, who on earth might change him?
Liverpool’s predominant power lately had been the variety of objectives contributed from broad ahead areas. Mohamed Salah was the lead talisman, scoring a ridiculous quantity from the proper aspect, and he was ably supported by Sadio Mane for chunk of time.
However though Salah continues to notch at a speedy price, Mane’s objectives have not actually been changed since he departed the membership for a brand new problem. Jota, Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have finished their greatest to fill the void, however their contributions are extra akin to what Roberto Firmino was churning out within the central striker position.
That is why signing a prolific striker like Gyokeres may very well be the most effective factor Liverpool can do, even when it will value an arm and a leg to do it. The Swede has had an unbelievable season with Sporting CP, carries the identical bodily imposing menace that Nunez does, and is way extra composed with the ball at his ft, by way of taking probabilities in addition to organising others.
Extra importantly, he is a straight up quantity 9, which might absolutely present extra readability for the roles of Jota and Gakpo, who seemingly plug in wherever they’re wanted and typically undergo the center if Nunez is shunted out to the left.
With central strikers the determined theme, it is fairly apparent that Liverpool ought to think about signing one who’s 100% confirmed within the Premier League. Enter, Newcastle’s Alexander Isak.
The Swede has had damage issues, granted, however his file at St James’ Park is outstanding. Not solely are Isak’s numbers good, his link-up play is nice and he is able to taking part in alone up entrance or alongside a strike associate, ought to the state of affairs dictate it.
Stability is so vital to a aspect, in addition to work price, and there is few higher than Isak if Liverpool want to alter tact or simply merely plunder the ball into the again of the web.
Gyokeres and Isak would each come at a premium value, little question about that. In order that’s the place Feyenoord striker and Arne Slot-disciple Santiago Gimenez might come into the equation.
Having solely simply turned 23, the Argentina-born Mexican is the youngest of the trio right here and has comparable traits to Nunez. A eager presser out of possession, Gimenez will willingly run into the channels and lead counter assaults – the place he invariably makes the form of selections that Nunez has bought unsuitable a bit of too typically.
Gimenez’s ending has additionally improved immeasurably over the previous couple of years, suggesting he works extraordinarily nicely with Slot and his teaching employees on the coaching floor. A secure possibility? Perhaps. A adequate possibility to permit cash to nonetheless be spent elsewhere? Completely.