Having partied hard in Dubai and Ibiza, Liverpool lifted the Premier League aloft and then went on to make a huge statement in the transfer market, the biggest one that’s ever been seen in English top-flight history.
The Reds have landed full-backs, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, from Bayer Leverkusen and Bournemouth respectively, but Florian Wirtz’s arrival was a great deal more exciting than both.
Richard Hughes and Co were able to broker a £116m deal with Leverkusen, thus making him the most expensive player in English football.
No pressure then, Florian. To be fair, if there is any pressure, it’s likely he’ll thrive.
Wirtz has been the poster boy for Bayer for a number of years now and has already cemented himself as one of the finest 10s in the game, scoring 16 goals and registering 15 assists in 45 matches last season.
Now, however, an even bigger deal could be sorted before the transfer window shuts in a few months.
Liverpool looking to spend big again in July
If you thought June was a big month for the Reds then perhaps July could be even bigger.
It’s likely FSG will commence the new month by announcing the arrival of Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Last week, it was revealed that Liverpool were closing in on an agreement on personal terms with the centre-back and this weekend, reports have suggested that talks are set to take place with Palace in a bid to conclude a move.
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That being said, he’s not the only Premier League star who could walk through the doors of Anfield in a few weeks.
It’s an incredibly unlikely one but the rumour mill continues to link Newcastle forward Alexander Isak with a move to Merseyside.
Reports over recent weeks suggest that the Swede is Liverpool’s dream target for the rest of the window and understandably so. Yet, with an alleged asking price topping £200m, it will be nigh on impossible to get him out of St James’ Park this summer.
Well, this weekend, the Chronicle have reported the latest on the saga. They note that ‘reporters who cover the club [Liverpool] have been told not to dismiss a July bid for Isak.’
Sadly for the Reds, there are several obstacles at play here, not least the striker’s asking price but the fact that he remains contracted until 2028.
Eddie Howe has held talks behind the scenes with Isak about his future and the Toon appear to be confident of keeping him in the north east.
Why Isak is even more exciting than Wirtz
It wasn’t long ago that former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes explained that the “absolutely exceptional” Wirtz is “probably the best midfielder in the world.”
It’s hard to dispute that statement given his numbers last season, but Liverpool are in dire need of a new centre-forward and Isak ticks every single box imaginable.
A “world-class assassin” in the words of Newcastle legend, Alan Shearer, the Swede has proven himself to be what some believe, including analyst Raj Chohan, “the best striker in the world”.
While fellow Swede Viktor Gyokeres, who scored 54 goals in 52 matches last season, was Europe’s top marksman, he did so in an inferior league to the Premier League.
Whether the Sporting powerhouse comes to England and scores a similar amount next season remains to be seen, but Isak is proven over here already and could well be Liverpool’s ticket not just to top-flight dominance but Champions League dominance.
While Mo Salah ran rampant across the continent last season, scoring 34 and assisting 23 in all competitions, if there is any weakness to pluck from this Reds side it was that they perhaps lacked another reliable goalscorer.
Wingers by trade, Cody Gakpo and Luis Diaz did score 18 and 17 goals but as far as out-and-out centre-forwards are concerned, Diogo Jota only scored nine and Darwin Nunez ended the campaign with seven.
1. Mo Salah
52
34
2. Cody Gakpo
49
18
3. Luis Diaz
50
17
4. Diogo Jota
37
9
5. Dominik Szoboszlai
49
8
6. Darwin Nunez
47
7
7. Alexis Mac Allister
49
7
Jota is notably injury-prone and Nunez looks as though he’s on his way to Napoli, so, after the arrivals of Wirtz and Co, adding a striker to their ranks is paramount.
Unlike Wirtz, Isak has proven he can do it in the Premier League before and is already well poised to take over the mantle from Salah as Liverpool’s leading man in attack.
Last season, he bagged 27 times in 42 outings, adding to the 25 in 40 he netted the campaign prior. He’s a menace, a captivating talent who quite possibly has Ballon d’Or level potential running through him.
Wirtz was no doubt a big statement but Isak, wanted by Europe’s elite, would be an even bigger one. He’s the most exciting forward around and Liverpool could soar to new heights with him at Arne Slot’s disposal.
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