Liverpool won the Premier League last season, but Arne Slot doesn’t seem like one to rest on his laurels, and is set on making the forthcoming campaign one of an even more significant triumph.
While the Reds were incredible across the league term, they left plenty to be desired through the season’s offshoots, losing an FA Cup tie to Plymouth Argyle, who were ultimately relegated from the Championship, and falling against Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup final and eventual Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain.
Not too shabby, all told. Premier League rivals Arsenal finished ten points behind Liverpool in second, after all. But there’s little question that Slot lacked depth, for the Dutch coach was hesitant in enforcing rotation to a fault, though this illustrates his frustrations regarding some of Anfield’s wider members of the first-team squad.
At the front of his issue was Darwin Nunez, who, as Liverpool’s star striker, only scored seven goals across all competitions, with Slot even stating he “can’t accept” the Uruguayan’s work-rate across a string of matches.
Though a move to Napoli fell through this week, FSG still expect to cash in on Nunez this summer, having already moved to sign his replacement.
Why Liverpool are signing Hugo Ekitike
Liverpool have stolen ahead of Newcastle in the race to sign Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike, with the French forward having submitted a transfer request to push negotiations closer toward the finish line.
Ekitike is only 23, but he’s established himself as one of Europe’s top young forwards, with journalist Graeme Bailey even coining him “the next Mbappe” for his blend of pace, physicality and potency in the final third.
However, the dynamic talent wasn’t Liverpool’s first choice. That would be Newcastle’s Alexander Isak. However, FSG’s formal efforts to prise him away from St. James’ Park proved fruitless.
It’s a shame, but Ekitike’s arrival would cushion the blow and then some, for he has the makings of a truly world-class superstar.
With suitors in the Saudi Pro League eager to snap Nunez up in the coming weeks, Ekitike’s prospective arrival will be an elating thing, having notched 40 goal involvements across a season-and-a-half with Frankfurt.
His silky, fleet-footed movements and dogged approach in the final third have led FBref to record him as one of Isak’s most comparable players, so you can certainly see the vision.
And for a cheaper sum too. Isak would have cost upwards of £120m to bring over to Merseyside, and would that truly be tenable? With a central defender still required and maybe a winger too, perhaps not.
Though Isak would have been an incredible addition, Liverpool fans have already been bestowed one earth-shattering acquisition by the ambitious owners this summer.
And Florian Wirtz might even prove the cream of a crop that, hypothetically, contained Isak in a Liverpool shirt too.
Liverpool have already struck gold on Florian Wirtz
Wirtz doesn’t need to kick a ball in a competitive setting for Liverpool fans to know that Slot has struck gold with this signing, owing to the diligence and perseverance of sporting director Richard Hughes.
Wirtz, 22, joined Liverpool from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth £100m last month. If potential add-ons are met, this fee will stretch higher still and extend to £116m, past Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo, the current record holder at £115m.
Despite his relative youth, the German midfielder has already established quite the résumé, having been awarded the Bundesliga Player of the Year for 2023/24, when Xabi Alonso’s Leverkusen dethroned Bayern Munich as invincibles, previously rebounding with vigour from an ACL injury.
Last season yielded nothing on the trophy front, but Wirtz still maintained his world-class level, hailed as a “truly generational talent” by sports media professional Cristian Nyari, who believed the creative star was performing at a level higher even than Harry Kane in Germany’s top flight.
What about across Europe’s top five leagues? Well, as per FBref, Wirtz ranked among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers last season for goal involvements, the top 2% for passes attempted, the top 7% for progressive passes and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
He’s a rather efficient playmaker, and with Liverpool having parted with Trent Alexander-Arnold, now Real Madrid property, it’s vital that Slot and co maintain the squad’s peerless creative levels. Wirtz has been picked as the man for that task, it appears.
24/25
Liverpool
112
23/24
Liverpool
102
22/23
Liverpool & Man City
103
21/22
Liverpool
97
20/21
Liverpool
82
You get the picture; Liverpool have signed a sensation. This marquee man’s ability is better defined, perhaps, through the lens of CIES Football Observatory’s player-valuing system.
Indeed, according to the renowned research site, Liverpool’s record signing is actually worth £150m, a stratospheric figure. Pundit Paul Robinson felt previously that this was an accurate figure when considering the player’s worth.
Isak, however, comes in at a ‘lowly’ £95m.
Of course, that is not a fair reflection of Isak’s value in the modern market, but it does serve to illustrate exactly how incredible a signing Liverpool have pulled off by signing Wirtz without breaking the British transfer record (yet).
Already, Liverpool fans have been gifted a glimpse into the playmaker’s winger footwork, seemingly fitting right in as pre-season preparations get underway.
Slot’s side is replete with high-level quality, and though Isak would have been a wonderful addition this summer, those of a Reds persuasion can take more than a measure of solace in having sealed a signing already, which may break the English transfer record.
In any case, given that Wirtz is considered to be the more valuable player, have Liverpool not hit the jackpot?
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