Sport
What next for Liverpool’s front three?
It was football’s biggest foregone conclusions and, although Liverpool may have the smallest of asterisk’s next to their name, no one can deny that they have been the rightful winners of this season’s Premier League. Liverpool’s front three and back five in particular have driven The Reds to a dominant Premier League title.
It is a competition that is viewed as difficult to win but even harder to defend and, with Liverpool reaching the Premier League’s promised land for the first time, questions regarding next season will soon be asked.
Although Jurgen Klopp’s men have picked up a first English league championship in 30 years, they were desperately close to doing so in 29 and the efforts they have put into the the past two seasons may be difficult to match again during the 2020/21 campaign.
With that said, Klopp has the ability to squeeze every last drop out of his players and, when you look at the current squad and the young players Liverpool possess, age and looks to be on their side.
The Merseyside outfit currently possess a near perfect balance of age and experience but that balance will eventually lose its equilibrium and father time will eventually come calling for some of the squad’s senior members.
This could be particurly true of Liverpool’s fron three. Although he can boast three world class forwards who, at 28-years-old should be in their prime for a couple of years yet, there is a potential issue emerging on the horizon.
As the trio of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah peak together, they will also grow old by the same rate and it is here where the Merseyside outfit will need to carefully manage their transition.
However, it is not as easy as simply buying three ready-made replacements in the summer and earmarking them as the next generation, it is going to need to be a managed process and one that takes place over years.
Liverpool will have to drip feed their next wave of star attacking talents but, with Timo Werner being snared by Chelsea, they have missed an ideal opportunity to start the process this summer.
That’s not to say that Liverpool cannot and will not purchase a new forward while the transfer window is open, its just that the RB Leipzig man offers a multitude of options in the final third. With the German international’s ability to be deployed either through the middle or out wide, Werner could have been Liverpool’s fourth attacking beatle and, in doing so, offered the opportunity to rest and rotate the other three.
The 2019 Champions League winners have perhaps missed out on a rare opportunity to strengthen whilst at the very top and, although they will not be short on alternatives, the failure to capture Werner’s services may come back to haunt them.
Although Liverpool’s front three dilemma isn’t urgent just yet, it is an area that cannot be overlooked for long and there another factor that could accelerate the transition somewhat quicker. Due to the fearsome threesome winning the two biggest prizes available to them over the last two seasons, the Champions League and Premier League, they may soon want one huge, final career challenge themselves. With rumours of interest from Real Madrid in Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah refusing to die down, the La Liga giants could eventually come calling.
If that is to happen though, it will probably need to be this summer as Madrid are unlikely to retain much of an interest once the pair have turned 30.
One thing that could work in Liverpool’s favour is the flattening of the transfer market. With perceived value and available funds potentially being miles apart, it could quell the potential of any sales in the not too distant future.
Of course, with such an exciting array of attacking talent currently calling Anfield home and plenty still to come from the likes of Andy Robertson and Trent-Alexander Arnold, Liverpool will be confident in winning back to back league titles.
It is a confidence that is shared by the bookmakers who, unsurprisingly, have made them favourites to retain the title in the 2020/21 season. Whether or not that is the case, change within this group will have to come eventually.
Time it right and Liverpool could create a dynasty that harks back to their great sides of the 1970’s and 80’s. Should Klopp time it wrong and fail to refresh Liverpool’s front three, they may end up being overtaken.
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