Sport
Liverpool transfer rumours: 5 players they could sign this summer
Despite a poor beginning, Liverpool finished third in the 2020/21 Premier League. However, is they are to keep up with favourites Manchester City there can be no repeat of their awful mid-season form again. One of the Reds’ main issues was their lack of depth and, as injuries hit, they had to rely on players from the under-23’s. This summer they must invest to prevent a repeat and, as such, Liverpool transfer rumours are now swirling. Here are five players that Liverpool are reportedly keen on signing in this transfer window.
Liverpool transfer rumours: 5 players they could sign
Renato Sanches (Lille)
Thankfully Renato Sanches’ career didn’t continue to spiral after a poor loan spell at Swansea City. After his disappointment in South Wales, the Portuguese midfielder returned to Bayern Munich and played a full season before moving to Lille for £21million, where he has since begun living up to his potential. The 23-year-old would be the perfect Georginio Wijnaldum replacement, who has left on a free transfer to PSG.
Sanches played as a central midfielder for Lille as well as a right-winger, though this position doesn’t maximise his skillset. The former Benfica man is technically gifted with the ball at his feet and has the pace and power to drive the ball forward but he also has developed a willingness to track back – a trait that will be attractive to Jurgen Klopp knowing his current two fullbacks love to bomb forward.
A fee of around £25million is expected to be enough to persuade Lille to let go of their talented prospect, with the latest Liverpool transfer rumours suggesting the deal is possible, and Sanches is supposedly keen to return to the Premier League.
Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich)
Last season also highlighted that when Liverpool’s usual front three are misfiring, there is often a lack of a plan B. Diogo Jota did provide something different when he displaced one of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino or Mohamed Salah, however another forward will be required to throw down a strong challenge in all competitions this season.
And history says there is no one more suitable to join a club and win trophies than winger Kingsley Coman, who has won the league in every single one of his professional seasons. In his ten year career so far the Frenchman has won the Ligue 1 twice with PSG, the Serie A twice with Juventus and the Bundesliga six times with Bayern Munich. But with contract talks reportedly breaking down recently, could this be a good time for him to conquer the Premier League?
Coman is a fast, intelligent and skilful winger, always wanting to take on his man and drive into the box or to the by-line and cross. In 29 appearances for Bayern last season, he scored five and assisted ten, his best statistical career to date, and also scoring three and assisting three in the Champions League.
Being comfortable on either wing would provide great strength to Klopp’s attack, though reports from Germany suggest that Liverpool will have to cough up £86million to convince Bayern to let Coman leave.
Patrik Schick (Bayern Leverkusen)
Like every international tournament, there are several breakout stars. At Euro 2020 the main talent that was soon on most clubs’ radar was Patrik Schick of Bayern Leverkusen. The Czech Republic striker scored five goals in five appearances at the tournament and was his nation’s best player by a significant margin. Could Klopp take a punt on an in-form talent to give Firmino some competition? The latest Liverpool transfer rumours suggest that could indeed be the case.
Firmino often plays in the false nine role where he will drop deep to open up space in behind for Salah and Mane to run into, whereas Schick is more of an out and out striker that can be played as a target man. But potentially having more of an aerial presence in the box could improve the Reds, especially given that their overlapping fullbacks, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson, are both excellent crossers of the ball.
Schick holds up the ball well, always plays on the last man and is good with both feet, he would be a good option for Klopp to have off of the bench, especially as the 23-year-old is in great form and will be keen to make an impression.
Often there is a ‘tournament tax’ where players increase in value for having a few good games on the international stage, which will be the case here. A bid in the region of £30million should be enough to persuade Leverkusen to let go of their now-sought after striker.
Saul Niguez (Atletico Madrid)
Either Saul Niguez’ agent is very good at stirring up interest via the media or his client is on the radar of most top Premier League clubs. According to reports, Manchester United, Liverpool and Manchester City are all keen on bringing the Spaniard to their respective clubs before the transfer window shuts.
The 26-year-old was a crucial part of the Atletico Madrid midfield that helped them to their La Liga title last season, with Saul’s versatility meaning manager Diego Simeone used him as a holding midfielder, a box-to-box midfielder and out wide too. Despite rarely being amongst the goals and assists, the Atletico academy product is an important part of the processes, feeding the ball into the more creative talents and also dropping back and allowing the more attacking-minded players to bomb forward.
Atletico needs to offload players to balance the books so a bid in the region of £35million could be enough. Saul would slot into the heart of the Liverpool midfield alongside Fabinho and Jordan Henderson and form a really strong core to the team, with all three being experienced enough to know when to press forward but also drop deep.
Adama Traore (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
There are few players scarier to come up against than Adama Traore, and it is about time one of the ‘Big Six’ enquired about him. Some Liverpool transfer rumours seem to be suggesting that The Reds are readying a bid. The winger is incredibly fast, very strong and an absolute nuisance for defenders to keep tabs on, and even if they know where he is then their chances of stopping him are slim too.
Traore, formerly of Middlesbrough and Aston Villa, is reportedly a player Liverpool are keen on bringing to Anfield this summer. The Spaniard would provide great cover for Mohamed Salah and is the ultimate impact substitute, he has also previously played down the middle too so could cover Firmino too, but is too one-footed to play as a left-winger and cover Mane.
Additionally, now Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and new signing Ibrahima Konate are all fit, Klopp could opt for a back three and use Robertson and Alexander-Arnold as wingbacks; this means Traore could provide cover for the latter having played as a wide defender in previous seasons under Nuno Espirito Santos, now of Tottenham Hotspur.
At 25-years-old, Traore is coming into his prime years and so Wolves have every right to demand a big price for their direct forward, whose two goals and two assists last season don’t tell the whole story of how good he was. Heading into the 2020/21 campaign the West Midlands side reportedly wanted £70m for Traore, but he is now available for £20million less.
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