I kind of feel that at this point all roads lead to Minteh. We need someone who is going to be our "right winger" Not someone we've pushed over there, that being said Mane was our right winger until Mo turned up and then he became the left winger in one of the best teams this club has ever produced. So maybe that the square peg in a round hole is isn't so bad?
This might be true. The key to this Liverpool side is to get the best out of the near £300m outlay on the centre-pieces in Wirtz, Isak & Ekitike.
The team has to be built around that No9 position & Wirtz has to be an integral part of the side, so support wingers, who add pace, creativity, vertical threat & make space for the 10 & 9 are crucial.
We don’t need a Mane/Salah on the flanks (would be nice), we need a Doku-type winger & Minteh could be that guy. He’s also 21, so he could improve in the final third.
100% agree Gavin. Investments at OF have to increase the return on the primary attacking investment in Alex/Hugo/Flo.
Outside forwards must have: threat behind the last line (pace) + threat to dribble by 1st marker + technical skills / composure to create chances from that threat + willingness / athleticism to press ... bonus: contribute to progression & tracking back defensively
If we could get an elite player (or prospect like Diomande) with the must-haves plus rare additional talents, then consider a bigger investment. If not, then I'm happy with "modest" investments at outside forward (e.g., Munoz, Minteh). For example, Barcola is not worth the fee or wages required.
Barcola doesn't strike me as talented enough for the huge fee + huge wage required to get him. He's got pace to threaten in behind but is less productive in threatening via dribbles when an opponent is goal-side on him. At 24 this season, how many steps does he have left to make in his development (close to ceiling). We already have an expensive bet on Wirtz to realize his potential; don't want another big money signing who's not a nailed-on elite player.
Rayan doesn't seem gettable. Akliouche seems like more an AM than RF and is untested in EPL.
Feels like £60-65 to Brighton for Minteh would be a good plan b. "Reasonable" fee + relatively low wages is not anywhere near as expensive as Barcola; direct investment elsewhere. Two seasons of EPL experience means less "adaption" than Akliouche or Rayan; more predictive "floor"; less of a bet. Turning 22 for this season, he's young enough to make further steps in development. Creates threat from the dribble and runs in behind. Creates chances at a reasonable rate from that threat. Comfortable operating on the left when needed. Not an exciting signing but a sensible alternative.
I think we all need to look objectively at LFC and admit that the suits might just be looking at this as a two-year project with a goal next year of just top 4. We might not go for any world beaters this summer and just see how things fit in with Iraola for a year. They might just sign depth and "potential" guys that are not as expensive and see what Adoni can get out of them until January.
I expected a lot more Munoz typed signings than Diomande signings anyway. This has nothing to do with players not wanting Iraola or LFC struggling last year - players choose the best financial deal for them 99% of the time (examples Caicedo chose the Chelsea merry-go-round over Klopp, Tchouameni chose the bench at Real over Klopp - guys want the money).
I just am looking at it as Edwards saying this is like 2017 with Jurgen - get Iraola some pieces but wait until we see what we need to splash the big money (a la Virgil, Fabinho, and Allison) to get the team over the hump.
My prediction - all Liverpool fans will be pissed off/disappointed come August with the lack of big transfers, but will be okay with it based on the style of football and excitement of the team by November. As opposed to last year, when all Liverpool fans were in dreamland in August with the signings and praying for the end of the season by November!
100% agree Ted ... FSG are still building our 2nd great team and it's gonna take a few years.
Alex & Dom as the elite foundation. Florian, Hugo & Ryan can develop to join them as the core. Investments in 21-25yo with potential (Conor, Jeremy, Victor, Milos) will hopefully join that core. FSG would be smart to convince Virgil and Ali to remain to be a part of it. Rio & Gio are super young but good enough to be a part of this 2nd team. These pieces have been assembled but they need time to individually develop & gel as a unit.
Supplementing that "base" is a huge investment in young talent. FSG examined the benefits of owning a 2nd club but seemed to have shifted from that to invest in young talent + loans. The investment in purchase price + ongoing losses in a 2nd club seems to be less of a smart move vs. investing in transfer fees (+ higher wages?) for a slew of promising 14-17yo they have recruited / are recruiting. Add in the "infrastructure" put in place around "loan management" + continued 1st team opportunities (6th FW, 6th MF, 5th CB) and they must think that's the best path to acquiring the talent needed to compete while breaking even financially. As you say, this is gonna take a while.
Last year we benefitted from winning the league to sign a quality of first choice, in demand players we otherwise would not have been able to…
Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Frimpong (in demand with that release clause) even Guehi wanted the move.
That is one reason why it made so much sense to go big on big ticket transfers.
This season… we pay the price for the drop of in both results and quality of play.
We are back to fighting to sign these players, and frankly there’s a strong chance we never would have signed Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike if we had finished 5th last year.
The reality is that the big continental teams are able to match wages, guarantee trophies, have better quality of life… and importantly.. better rest for player for career longevity.
So.. maybe PSG won’t pay the big money and we get another shot.
However.. otherwise, we have to box clever for a year and we really pay for that terrible run of form upto Christmas that cost us the chance to sign Guehi and Semenyo
Even though Rayan sample is small, is it possible to see how it stacks up stats wise if he continued in this vein.
The interesting thing about him is obvs the manager worked with him, so the risk with the small sample of data would be potentially offset by the manager seeing him every day. He is also starting in the World Cup now, so every challenge he does seem to come through. The biggest question is he left footed?
Yeah, left footed. His numbers aren't crazy yet though. Analysis of him mostly stems from his preferred foot, his athleticism and his immediate form for Bournemouth despite arriving in a new country as a teenager. Massive prospect, but not an output merchant yet.
Love Rayan but £130 million release clause that activates in JAN shows Bournemouth will want Diomande-level fee ... seems unlikely that Hughes would pay it.
Have you looked at Mbaye at PSG looks like they are going to be forced to let him go and a knock down fee just to contract stalemate. The sample size is tiny but he flies past defenders.
Haven't checked him out, but I just think Liverpool should be aiming higher. Brighton and Bournemouth should be doing those deals. Liverpool need starting wide players. The bar should be high.
Mbaye has huge potential but seems too unproven when we need a proven RF for this season and the immediate term. Think it's gotta be a more finished article. P.S. Josh Abe will enter the first team picture this season, and at 15yo, & brings similar potential as Mbaye.
I’d prefer Minteh to Mbaye (but acknowledge Mbaye’s potential).
Not massively experienced but we won’t be waiting on adaption to EPL … 2YR as starting RF in EPL for a top 10 side playing progressive football … + he produced a lot in 1YR of ripping up the Eredivisie … not a slam dunk but, as u indicate, not much to choose from
Agree ... this season, Abe will play for UYL/U21, train with the 1st team & make the squad for cup matches. In 2027-28, he'll contribute similar to Rio this season. In 2028-29, he'll be the 6th forward (1st team). This projection requires him to stay on the current development trajectory but he's a STELLAR prospect.
Mbaye is a also good prospect but, at 18-19yo, is similarly unlikely to contribute to the first team in the short term ... and that's not counting for adjusting to new country / club / league. Why pay for a prospect we already have?
I feel like Savinho is being over looked - age is great and has potential to grow - seems to be on the market for £40-45m so a good price point - dribbly player with pace and creativity who is also versatile enough to play both wings of needed - and left footed! City may not want to sell to us but prem clubs seemingly have to sell within to get good prices these days
He's being overlooked purely because he plays for Man City tbh. I'd be very interested in him otherwise. Just can't see that one happening for obvious reasons.
Think we need the context of the clubs for whom they play ... Minteh will draw constant double-teams as the primary threat on the flanks ... opponents reserve double-ups for Haaland, Doku or Semenyo & now Cherki
I appreciate that is the case - but if Tottenham have a bid accepted for say 40m and we bid the same or 10% more - would they not sell to us you think? Savinho would kick up a fuss if that's the case as long as he preferred us to spurs (likely)
I get the logic but Spurs haven't won the EPL since 1961 ... have only finished in the top 4 four times in the past decade ... 3 of those came during the long-done Poch tenure and, even then when they finished 3rd/2nd/3rd, they never ran the eventual winners close. City just don't see them as a threat in the way they do Liverpool.
I agree with your logic to both them not selling to us - they havnt really ever done it - they would have felt Chelsea and arsenal were not touching them when they did the others - and minteh playing for a different team (although he is not really their main attacking threat but a part of a 4 in my opinion - particularly when mitoma was fit)- also certain players are often hand strung at big teams if there are other big players around them so potential can be unlocked by giving them more responsibility - but it's more that I think Liverpool should ask the question when a bid comes for him - there is potential to blindside them with an offer once one is accepted - not that it's the best transfer ever - it fills an eventual rotation squad gap well as well.
My point is that savinho should if possible be mentioned in the same breath as minteh as they are very similar players in terms of skill sets - and creation is slightly more important
Agree with Josh that Hughes' natural inclination is that if he can't get who he wants he'll just sit the window (and the next one) out, which I'm not sure we can afford to do.
Or can we?
A 'right winger' traditionally is a player who plays on the right, and is right-footed. A left-footed 'right winger' isn't a right winger. 'Inverted winger' seems to be the terminology, and rightly so. And I know Josh knows this perfectly well (as does anyone else) but I'm re-iterating it precisely because it raises the question: "Why do we HAVE to play with inverted wingers?"
We don't.
Yes, the blueprint has been gold dust for us, leading to our highest ever points totals in the club's history, but does that mean we have to stick to it rigidly forever and ever?
Personally, I'd prefer to stick it, if possible, but I'd like to think I wouldn't get religious about it.
There is a tendency these days to get a bit snobby about players. Plenty turned their noses up at Mbeumo. Plenty turned their noses up at Semenyo.
Which brings me to Minteh. Not seen loads of him so had a look at a few vids. The thing that struck me was that he absolutely works his socks off. I wasn't massively impressed with his forward play, which is why you should sign a forward, but I think Iraola would like him. However, I do admit he doesn't set the heart racing, the prospect of signing him. Bit small? Reminds me of someone, stature-wise. Bergwijn?
If we want a leftie, and I think they're probably rarer than Josh's 25% (lefties are only naturally 10% of the population), Minteh looks the obvious from the top flight. Do we really want to get taken to the cleaners by Brighton though? Bloom could easily turn round and ask for £100m, whether it's justified or not. And I do actually like smaller clubs not rolling over for bigger ones. They've done the hard scouting work, they SHOULD be rewarded for it.
If we're too narrow in our thinking, do we ever sign Gini Wijnaldum, for instance? And that would have cost us a league title and a big ears if we didn't.
Akliouche I had a look at, strangely awkward-yet-elegant at the same time. Pace reservations. He actually reminded me a bit of what Curtis once looked like, before we turned him into a drone. Flamboyant. Attacking! Not sure he reminds me of Eze but I know what Josh means.
But let's put aside the leftie on the right thing for a moment. What would Fernandez-Pardo and El Mala gives us on the right that Victor wouldn't? Nothing that I can see. FP looks like a bit of a bull, CRonaldo-ish running style, capable of playing centrally, and has been. El Mala also looks a strong little bastard. But they don't look to me like they would ever have been alternatives to Yan D so that is either Hughes marking false trails via selected journalists, or we're interested in them in a vague sort of way but as players that can just come in and play all across the front line. In other words, the same profile as Victor, who did that for Osasuna.
Unfortunately, after what has happened to Gakpo, well, his missus, I can't see the club being a bit heartless and moving him out, as much as I'd love them to do it. So, Gakpo will be here, Rio, Alex, Victor, with Huge back godknowswhen, Dannsy continuing to cut a tragic path to the treatment room, Josh Abe boss potential but 16, huge question marks over what the hell we do with Flo, nah we're a body short aren't we. Hughes really can't sit this one out, surely. I think if they are the genuine actual real targets on Hughes' list, then we're going to have to choose one of them and just hope it works out Gini-style (minus the move back into midfield).
Personally I'd be getting Trincao in. Sure he's 2 years older than the 'old' sweet spot of 24, but I want us to start looking at football players as football players again, not as investments. We're a football club, not a hedge fund. At least we used to be. When I want to watch a video of Andoni being interviewed, so I can get excited about the new manager joining, but I'm told I can't watch it unless I pay my fan monetisation to All Red Video, I start to wonder what we are.
How about Arda Guler from Real Madrid, 21 years old, good in tight spaces, reasonably quick but not electric and naturally left footed, champions league experience and playing for a big club.
Doesn’t strike me as a Jose style player?
doesn’t start every week. Could be a shout as I have not seen his name mentioned.
Good player but can't see it. More of a playmaking type than a true winger. Like Elliott, Odegaard vibes. Liverpool need pace, penetration in behind, directness, transitions.
Yea I guess you’re right, speed is the key, it just baffles me given the sheer scale of professional players in the world that there is such a limited pool to choose from. Guess we are talking elite. You think Edwards might end up going for a square peg in a round hole situation for that position? Like we did right back last year!
Estêvão Willian From Chelsea, would really tick that box, rapid, out put, young with a high ceiling, international, Palmer when fit would take that position in the team, so isn’t a guaranteed starter, chelsea have no champions league football again and have a huge squad, will need to sell to revamp the squad for alonso. Might be worth a £75 million bid. It’s tough there is very few Elite players in that position out there, Either you over pay for something that isn’t that great anyway or you don’t invert the left sided attacker and have them operating as provider to Isak. Are there any left footed rapid young strikers that could be converted to play wide?
Very much looking forward to watching what Liverpool do. Can just go with know one haha
Curious if you think in the absence of an elite alternative option on the right wing whether liverpool could get away with playing szlobazai on the right in a 4 2 3 1, that allows you to play wirtz in the centre as a number 10, with a left winger and isak as a number nine. You can then play a double pivot of gravenbach and use the resources identified for diomonde to bring in an elite midfielder and left winger if needed. It always seems to me that one of the elite aspects of the Liverpool squad is having two high quality number 10s in wirtz and szlobazai but you don't want to play them with just one holding midfielder and two wingers. Obviously the dream would have been yan diomonde providing perfect rotation on both left and right. Can fully understand why he wanted PSG but perhaps sour grapes on my behalf but still seems such a waste he will be playing his best year in what are basically nothing more than training practice sessions for PSG in ligue 1.
I didn’t like how we looked when Szoboszlai played in the RW last season from an attacking perspective. He doesn’t really hold the width at all and it also takes him away from where he’s best - which is on the center.
I like the pragmatism bc Hughes will have to adapt but, like Perry, I don't like Dom playing out of position. He has the chance to be an elite #8 or #10 (now that he doesn't have to do all of Mo's & Trent's running for them). We should be building the team around Alex & Dom & Dom needs an extended run in the 8 (or 10) ... no more auxiliary roles.
Hi Josh. I would not worry too much about it... When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade 😁
As you said, the left-footed Gigs didn't have a terrible carrier playing on the left.
And, in his 1st season, our (right -footed ) Sadio, had a nice season playing on the right.
Rio, himself had some good moments on the right.
I like the "wait for the right opportunity" attitude of the team.
Also, last time we missed a 100+ millions bid on a player, ( Caicedo) didn't go too bad.. With the same amount of money, we.rebuilt the entire middle field.
How about even putting Szoboszlai out there on the right and using the money to beef up the midfield with a genuine all rounder who can win the ball and feed Wirtz in the central 10 role?
If Brighton would sell minteh for like 50/60m I would do that. If not just sack off right wing, no point buying someone for the sake of it. Rio and Munoz can do right wing shifts. Then just go and sign Barcola.
I continue to be a bit worried about Hughes. Now into a third summer and we’ve still not sorted out the contract failures that hurt us so much before.
Let alone the questionable squad building and lack of signings January not seeming to have been in preparation for a couple clear and decisive early signings this summer. He sacrificed his manager for what exactly?
No doubt he deserves credit for getting the three big deals over the line last summer, but the state of the squad is questionable and he, again, doesn’t seem to have a handle on the contracts.
Muñoz doesn’t feel like a guy they really wanted all along, but with this latest news feels even more like a hedge against failing to sign the guy they actually wanted and being forced into the release clause because of Newcastle when they may have rather waited.
“Contract failures” rather depends on your point of view.
the club have for a longtime take the position that if players won’t resign at a salary they agree with, then they would rather keep them the last year and lose them on a free then sell for a reduced fee/if the price isn’t right..
it’s clear as day that that is club policy, and there’s not really anything for Hughes to get a hold of there.
squad building - I think slot made it pretty clear he wanted a small squad of top players and didn’t want the big squad many fans did.. and wouldn’t use all the squad players anyway.
now Areola may be a different situation, but again the window has just opened and there’s currently a World Cup on..
Slot wanted a small squad but complained all year about not having wingers?
I don’t think Konate or Trent leaving on a free were even close to the clubs preferred outcomes. Yeah, you don’t want to pay Konate what he’s getting at Madrid, but it should never have come to that point. I don’t see this happening with other clubs the way it’s happening with Liverpool over the past five years or so.
Slot complained about loads of things. Losing Diaz was a big blow, and ideally we would have signed another ball carrying replacement last year… but… Salah just signed a new 2 year deal, Gakpo has had his best season… and Rio wasn’t able to sign his first deal until August and tbh I think if they signed a eg barcola for that wing after Rio being our star of preseason… he may well have been off to the bundesliga to get guaranteed minutes.
Now we look at it and we’re not trying to sign a 100m left wing, but a 100m right wing… a Munoz style player last year would have been ideal but maybe not available.
Slot also had Chiesa and Elliot and didn’t use them the year before. And Elliot could have played midfield and freed dom for wing etc… there’s no guarantee if they bought a squad winger instead of £100m first choice that slot would have used them.
(See Quansah, Elliot etc the year before)
Also if Isak stayed fit Ekitike could play left.. there were options until they all got injured. (And Salah fell off a cliff without Trent)
Losing Trent and konate was not the clubs preferred option - obviously they wanted both to resign.
However, in both cases they made it clear they would rather keep them the final year and lose on a free then sell for cheap. Crystal clear, it’s club policy.
With Trent it clearly paid off because they won the league. With konate.. not so much.
But it’s definitely club policy to do it. They’ve been doing it for 10 years since Can.
Fans may disagree, but Edwards @ FSG clearly think it adds up.
Diomande better on both flanks, much better on the right than Barcola I'd argue. And we're desperate to fill that spot. He's also like four years younger than him.
I kind of feel that at this point all roads lead to Minteh. We need someone who is going to be our "right winger" Not someone we've pushed over there, that being said Mane was our right winger until Mo turned up and then he became the left winger in one of the best teams this club has ever produced. So maybe that the square peg in a round hole is isn't so bad?
This might be true. The key to this Liverpool side is to get the best out of the near £300m outlay on the centre-pieces in Wirtz, Isak & Ekitike.
The team has to be built around that No9 position & Wirtz has to be an integral part of the side, so support wingers, who add pace, creativity, vertical threat & make space for the 10 & 9 are crucial.
We don’t need a Mane/Salah on the flanks (would be nice), we need a Doku-type winger & Minteh could be that guy. He’s also 21, so he could improve in the final third.
100% agree Gavin. Investments at OF have to increase the return on the primary attacking investment in Alex/Hugo/Flo.
Outside forwards must have: threat behind the last line (pace) + threat to dribble by 1st marker + technical skills / composure to create chances from that threat + willingness / athleticism to press ... bonus: contribute to progression & tracking back defensively
If we could get an elite player (or prospect like Diomande) with the must-haves plus rare additional talents, then consider a bigger investment. If not, then I'm happy with "modest" investments at outside forward (e.g., Munoz, Minteh). For example, Barcola is not worth the fee or wages required.
Barcola doesn't strike me as talented enough for the huge fee + huge wage required to get him. He's got pace to threaten in behind but is less productive in threatening via dribbles when an opponent is goal-side on him. At 24 this season, how many steps does he have left to make in his development (close to ceiling). We already have an expensive bet on Wirtz to realize his potential; don't want another big money signing who's not a nailed-on elite player.
Rayan doesn't seem gettable. Akliouche seems like more an AM than RF and is untested in EPL.
Feels like £60-65 to Brighton for Minteh would be a good plan b. "Reasonable" fee + relatively low wages is not anywhere near as expensive as Barcola; direct investment elsewhere. Two seasons of EPL experience means less "adaption" than Akliouche or Rayan; more predictive "floor"; less of a bet. Turning 22 for this season, he's young enough to make further steps in development. Creates threat from the dribble and runs in behind. Creates chances at a reasonable rate from that threat. Comfortable operating on the left when needed. Not an exciting signing but a sensible alternative.
I think we all need to look objectively at LFC and admit that the suits might just be looking at this as a two-year project with a goal next year of just top 4. We might not go for any world beaters this summer and just see how things fit in with Iraola for a year. They might just sign depth and "potential" guys that are not as expensive and see what Adoni can get out of them until January.
I expected a lot more Munoz typed signings than Diomande signings anyway. This has nothing to do with players not wanting Iraola or LFC struggling last year - players choose the best financial deal for them 99% of the time (examples Caicedo chose the Chelsea merry-go-round over Klopp, Tchouameni chose the bench at Real over Klopp - guys want the money).
I just am looking at it as Edwards saying this is like 2017 with Jurgen - get Iraola some pieces but wait until we see what we need to splash the big money (a la Virgil, Fabinho, and Allison) to get the team over the hump.
My prediction - all Liverpool fans will be pissed off/disappointed come August with the lack of big transfers, but will be okay with it based on the style of football and excitement of the team by November. As opposed to last year, when all Liverpool fans were in dreamland in August with the signings and praying for the end of the season by November!
100% agree Ted ... FSG are still building our 2nd great team and it's gonna take a few years.
Alex & Dom as the elite foundation. Florian, Hugo & Ryan can develop to join them as the core. Investments in 21-25yo with potential (Conor, Jeremy, Victor, Milos) will hopefully join that core. FSG would be smart to convince Virgil and Ali to remain to be a part of it. Rio & Gio are super young but good enough to be a part of this 2nd team. These pieces have been assembled but they need time to individually develop & gel as a unit.
Supplementing that "base" is a huge investment in young talent. FSG examined the benefits of owning a 2nd club but seemed to have shifted from that to invest in young talent + loans. The investment in purchase price + ongoing losses in a 2nd club seems to be less of a smart move vs. investing in transfer fees (+ higher wages?) for a slew of promising 14-17yo they have recruited / are recruiting. Add in the "infrastructure" put in place around "loan management" + continued 1st team opportunities (6th FW, 6th MF, 5th CB) and they must think that's the best path to acquiring the talent needed to compete while breaking even financially. As you say, this is gonna take a while.
Last year we benefitted from winning the league to sign a quality of first choice, in demand players we otherwise would not have been able to…
Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike, Frimpong (in demand with that release clause) even Guehi wanted the move.
That is one reason why it made so much sense to go big on big ticket transfers.
This season… we pay the price for the drop of in both results and quality of play.
We are back to fighting to sign these players, and frankly there’s a strong chance we never would have signed Wirtz, Isak, Ekitike if we had finished 5th last year.
The reality is that the big continental teams are able to match wages, guarantee trophies, have better quality of life… and importantly.. better rest for player for career longevity.
So.. maybe PSG won’t pay the big money and we get another shot.
However.. otherwise, we have to box clever for a year and we really pay for that terrible run of form upto Christmas that cost us the chance to sign Guehi and Semenyo
Even though Rayan sample is small, is it possible to see how it stacks up stats wise if he continued in this vein.
The interesting thing about him is obvs the manager worked with him, so the risk with the small sample of data would be potentially offset by the manager seeing him every day. He is also starting in the World Cup now, so every challenge he does seem to come through. The biggest question is he left footed?
Yeah, left footed. His numbers aren't crazy yet though. Analysis of him mostly stems from his preferred foot, his athleticism and his immediate form for Bournemouth despite arriving in a new country as a teenager. Massive prospect, but not an output merchant yet.
Love Rayan but £130 million release clause that activates in JAN shows Bournemouth will want Diomande-level fee ... seems unlikely that Hughes would pay it.
Have you looked at Mbaye at PSG looks like they are going to be forced to let him go and a knock down fee just to contract stalemate. The sample size is tiny but he flies past defenders.
Haven't checked him out, but I just think Liverpool should be aiming higher. Brighton and Bournemouth should be doing those deals. Liverpool need starting wide players. The bar should be high.
Mbaye has huge potential but seems too unproven when we need a proven RF for this season and the immediate term. Think it's gotta be a more finished article. P.S. Josh Abe will enter the first team picture this season, and at 15yo, & brings similar potential as Mbaye.
I would love a more experienced guy but I don't know who that is. There is nobody experienced that jumps out to me. That is good enough and available
I’d prefer Minteh to Mbaye (but acknowledge Mbaye’s potential).
Not massively experienced but we won’t be waiting on adaption to EPL … 2YR as starting RF in EPL for a top 10 side playing progressive football … + he produced a lot in 1YR of ripping up the Eredivisie … not a slam dunk but, as u indicate, not much to choose from
Abe may be around the squad on match days but he wont be on the pitch. He is too small for Prem football as it stands.
Agree ... this season, Abe will play for UYL/U21, train with the 1st team & make the squad for cup matches. In 2027-28, he'll contribute similar to Rio this season. In 2028-29, he'll be the 6th forward (1st team). This projection requires him to stay on the current development trajectory but he's a STELLAR prospect.
Mbaye is a also good prospect but, at 18-19yo, is similarly unlikely to contribute to the first team in the short term ... and that's not counting for adjusting to new country / club / league. Why pay for a prospect we already have?
This could be a great shout! I was thinking this the other day. Why not offer to loan him even.
This is what happens when you have an unproven manager, brand new manager in charge off the back of a shaky season
Top players don’t know what they’re getting into.
I feel like Savinho is being over looked - age is great and has potential to grow - seems to be on the market for £40-45m so a good price point - dribbly player with pace and creativity who is also versatile enough to play both wings of needed - and left footed! City may not want to sell to us but prem clubs seemingly have to sell within to get good prices these days
He's being overlooked purely because he plays for Man City tbh. I'd be very interested in him otherwise. Just can't see that one happening for obvious reasons.
2 premier league goals. ..
Posted 9 goals and 10 assists as a 19-year-old in La Liga. Left footed, too. Tricky, quick, still only 22. And the rest of the market is terrible.
Savinho- 2600 prem league mins - 15 goals/assists - 0.52/90
Minteh - 4200 prem league mins - 17 goals/assists - 0.36/90
Think we need the context of the clubs for whom they play ... Minteh will draw constant double-teams as the primary threat on the flanks ... opponents reserve double-ups for Haaland, Doku or Semenyo & now Cherki
I appreciate that is the case - but if Tottenham have a bid accepted for say 40m and we bid the same or 10% more - would they not sell to us you think? Savinho would kick up a fuss if that's the case as long as he preferred us to spurs (likely)
I get the logic but Spurs haven't won the EPL since 1961 ... have only finished in the top 4 four times in the past decade ... 3 of those came during the long-done Poch tenure and, even then when they finished 3rd/2nd/3rd, they never ran the eventual winners close. City just don't see them as a threat in the way they do Liverpool.
I agree with your logic to both them not selling to us - they havnt really ever done it - they would have felt Chelsea and arsenal were not touching them when they did the others - and minteh playing for a different team (although he is not really their main attacking threat but a part of a 4 in my opinion - particularly when mitoma was fit)- also certain players are often hand strung at big teams if there are other big players around them so potential can be unlocked by giving them more responsibility - but it's more that I think Liverpool should ask the question when a bid comes for him - there is potential to blindside them with an offer once one is accepted - not that it's the best transfer ever - it fills an eventual rotation squad gap well as well.
Do you have any suggestions for players?
No suggestions other than those in Josh's piece ... with Minteh or Summerville looking the most likely
My point is that savinho should if possible be mentioned in the same breath as minteh as they are very similar players in terms of skill sets - and creation is slightly more important
Agree with the point that Savinho is a similar talent to Minteh. If he were with a "selling club", then he'd be mentioned a lot more.
Agree with Josh that Hughes' natural inclination is that if he can't get who he wants he'll just sit the window (and the next one) out, which I'm not sure we can afford to do.
Or can we?
A 'right winger' traditionally is a player who plays on the right, and is right-footed. A left-footed 'right winger' isn't a right winger. 'Inverted winger' seems to be the terminology, and rightly so. And I know Josh knows this perfectly well (as does anyone else) but I'm re-iterating it precisely because it raises the question: "Why do we HAVE to play with inverted wingers?"
We don't.
Yes, the blueprint has been gold dust for us, leading to our highest ever points totals in the club's history, but does that mean we have to stick to it rigidly forever and ever?
Personally, I'd prefer to stick it, if possible, but I'd like to think I wouldn't get religious about it.
There is a tendency these days to get a bit snobby about players. Plenty turned their noses up at Mbeumo. Plenty turned their noses up at Semenyo.
Which brings me to Minteh. Not seen loads of him so had a look at a few vids. The thing that struck me was that he absolutely works his socks off. I wasn't massively impressed with his forward play, which is why you should sign a forward, but I think Iraola would like him. However, I do admit he doesn't set the heart racing, the prospect of signing him. Bit small? Reminds me of someone, stature-wise. Bergwijn?
If we want a leftie, and I think they're probably rarer than Josh's 25% (lefties are only naturally 10% of the population), Minteh looks the obvious from the top flight. Do we really want to get taken to the cleaners by Brighton though? Bloom could easily turn round and ask for £100m, whether it's justified or not. And I do actually like smaller clubs not rolling over for bigger ones. They've done the hard scouting work, they SHOULD be rewarded for it.
If we're too narrow in our thinking, do we ever sign Gini Wijnaldum, for instance? And that would have cost us a league title and a big ears if we didn't.
Akliouche I had a look at, strangely awkward-yet-elegant at the same time. Pace reservations. He actually reminded me a bit of what Curtis once looked like, before we turned him into a drone. Flamboyant. Attacking! Not sure he reminds me of Eze but I know what Josh means.
But let's put aside the leftie on the right thing for a moment. What would Fernandez-Pardo and El Mala gives us on the right that Victor wouldn't? Nothing that I can see. FP looks like a bit of a bull, CRonaldo-ish running style, capable of playing centrally, and has been. El Mala also looks a strong little bastard. But they don't look to me like they would ever have been alternatives to Yan D so that is either Hughes marking false trails via selected journalists, or we're interested in them in a vague sort of way but as players that can just come in and play all across the front line. In other words, the same profile as Victor, who did that for Osasuna.
Unfortunately, after what has happened to Gakpo, well, his missus, I can't see the club being a bit heartless and moving him out, as much as I'd love them to do it. So, Gakpo will be here, Rio, Alex, Victor, with Huge back godknowswhen, Dannsy continuing to cut a tragic path to the treatment room, Josh Abe boss potential but 16, huge question marks over what the hell we do with Flo, nah we're a body short aren't we. Hughes really can't sit this one out, surely. I think if they are the genuine actual real targets on Hughes' list, then we're going to have to choose one of them and just hope it works out Gini-style (minus the move back into midfield).
Personally I'd be getting Trincao in. Sure he's 2 years older than the 'old' sweet spot of 24, but I want us to start looking at football players as football players again, not as investments. We're a football club, not a hedge fund. At least we used to be. When I want to watch a video of Andoni being interviewed, so I can get excited about the new manager joining, but I'm told I can't watch it unless I pay my fan monetisation to All Red Video, I start to wonder what we are.
How about Arda Guler from Real Madrid, 21 years old, good in tight spaces, reasonably quick but not electric and naturally left footed, champions league experience and playing for a big club.
Doesn’t strike me as a Jose style player?
doesn’t start every week. Could be a shout as I have not seen his name mentioned.
Good player but can't see it. More of a playmaking type than a true winger. Like Elliott, Odegaard vibes. Liverpool need pace, penetration in behind, directness, transitions.
Yea I guess you’re right, speed is the key, it just baffles me given the sheer scale of professional players in the world that there is such a limited pool to choose from. Guess we are talking elite. You think Edwards might end up going for a square peg in a round hole situation for that position? Like we did right back last year!
Maybe. But that’s the thing. Elite. Never forget, we’re talking about Liverpool here. World class, or world class potential.
Estêvão Willian From Chelsea, would really tick that box, rapid, out put, young with a high ceiling, international, Palmer when fit would take that position in the team, so isn’t a guaranteed starter, chelsea have no champions league football again and have a huge squad, will need to sell to revamp the squad for alonso. Might be worth a £75 million bid. It’s tough there is very few Elite players in that position out there, Either you over pay for something that isn’t that great anyway or you don’t invert the left sided attacker and have them operating as provider to Isak. Are there any left footed rapid young strikers that could be converted to play wide?
Very much looking forward to watching what Liverpool do. Can just go with know one haha
Curious if you think in the absence of an elite alternative option on the right wing whether liverpool could get away with playing szlobazai on the right in a 4 2 3 1, that allows you to play wirtz in the centre as a number 10, with a left winger and isak as a number nine. You can then play a double pivot of gravenbach and use the resources identified for diomonde to bring in an elite midfielder and left winger if needed. It always seems to me that one of the elite aspects of the Liverpool squad is having two high quality number 10s in wirtz and szlobazai but you don't want to play them with just one holding midfielder and two wingers. Obviously the dream would have been yan diomonde providing perfect rotation on both left and right. Can fully understand why he wanted PSG but perhaps sour grapes on my behalf but still seems such a waste he will be playing his best year in what are basically nothing more than training practice sessions for PSG in ligue 1.
I didn’t like how we looked when Szoboszlai played in the RW last season from an attacking perspective. He doesn’t really hold the width at all and it also takes him away from where he’s best - which is on the center.
I like the pragmatism bc Hughes will have to adapt but, like Perry, I don't like Dom playing out of position. He has the chance to be an elite #8 or #10 (now that he doesn't have to do all of Mo's & Trent's running for them). We should be building the team around Alex & Dom & Dom needs an extended run in the 8 (or 10) ... no more auxiliary roles.
Hi Josh. I would not worry too much about it... When life gives you lemons, make a lemonade 😁
As you said, the left-footed Gigs didn't have a terrible carrier playing on the left.
And, in his 1st season, our (right -footed ) Sadio, had a nice season playing on the right.
Rio, himself had some good moments on the right.
I like the "wait for the right opportunity" attitude of the team.
Also, last time we missed a 100+ millions bid on a player, ( Caicedo) didn't go too bad.. With the same amount of money, we.rebuilt the entire middle field.
Some more leftfield suggestions...
- Iliman Ndiaye (Just to wind up the bloos)
- Mohammed Kudus
How about even putting Szoboszlai out there on the right and using the money to beef up the midfield with a genuine all rounder who can win the ball and feed Wirtz in the central 10 role?
Get Barcola and build from there
Szobo on the right, a flying full back and a string DM could work but we may need a left winger then
If Brighton would sell minteh for like 50/60m I would do that. If not just sack off right wing, no point buying someone for the sake of it. Rio and Munoz can do right wing shifts. Then just go and sign Barcola.
I continue to be a bit worried about Hughes. Now into a third summer and we’ve still not sorted out the contract failures that hurt us so much before.
Let alone the questionable squad building and lack of signings January not seeming to have been in preparation for a couple clear and decisive early signings this summer. He sacrificed his manager for what exactly?
No doubt he deserves credit for getting the three big deals over the line last summer, but the state of the squad is questionable and he, again, doesn’t seem to have a handle on the contracts.
Muñoz doesn’t feel like a guy they really wanted all along, but with this latest news feels even more like a hedge against failing to sign the guy they actually wanted and being forced into the release clause because of Newcastle when they may have rather waited.
“Contract failures” rather depends on your point of view.
the club have for a longtime take the position that if players won’t resign at a salary they agree with, then they would rather keep them the last year and lose them on a free then sell for a reduced fee/if the price isn’t right..
it’s clear as day that that is club policy, and there’s not really anything for Hughes to get a hold of there.
squad building - I think slot made it pretty clear he wanted a small squad of top players and didn’t want the big squad many fans did.. and wouldn’t use all the squad players anyway.
now Areola may be a different situation, but again the window has just opened and there’s currently a World Cup on..
That certainly feels like rose tinted glasses.
Slot wanted a small squad but complained all year about not having wingers?
I don’t think Konate or Trent leaving on a free were even close to the clubs preferred outcomes. Yeah, you don’t want to pay Konate what he’s getting at Madrid, but it should never have come to that point. I don’t see this happening with other clubs the way it’s happening with Liverpool over the past five years or so.
Slot complained about loads of things. Losing Diaz was a big blow, and ideally we would have signed another ball carrying replacement last year… but… Salah just signed a new 2 year deal, Gakpo has had his best season… and Rio wasn’t able to sign his first deal until August and tbh I think if they signed a eg barcola for that wing after Rio being our star of preseason… he may well have been off to the bundesliga to get guaranteed minutes.
Now we look at it and we’re not trying to sign a 100m left wing, but a 100m right wing… a Munoz style player last year would have been ideal but maybe not available.
Slot also had Chiesa and Elliot and didn’t use them the year before. And Elliot could have played midfield and freed dom for wing etc… there’s no guarantee if they bought a squad winger instead of £100m first choice that slot would have used them.
(See Quansah, Elliot etc the year before)
Also if Isak stayed fit Ekitike could play left.. there were options until they all got injured. (And Salah fell off a cliff without Trent)
Losing Trent and konate was not the clubs preferred option - obviously they wanted both to resign.
However, in both cases they made it clear they would rather keep them the final year and lose on a free then sell for cheap. Crystal clear, it’s club policy.
With Trent it clearly paid off because they won the league. With konate.. not so much.
But it’s definitely club policy to do it. They’ve been doing it for 10 years since Can.
Fans may disagree, but Edwards @ FSG clearly think it adds up.
Do you think PSG let Barcola go now then? And if so why do they think he's a step down from Diomande?
Diomande better on both flanks, much better on the right than Barcola I'd argue. And we're desperate to fill that spot. He's also like four years younger than him.