Liverpool are in the market for forwards this summer, and they’ve already agreed a £100m deal for Florian Wirtz (which could rise to a British-record £116m).
Wirtz, 22, is a “truly generational talent”, as per sports media professional Cristian Nyari, and he’s only going to get better, having led Bayer Leverkusen to the 2023/24 Bundesliga title (winning the division’s Player of the Year), and breathing life into his side whenever he collects the ball, gambolling his way into the danger area.
Liverpool have got themselves a player, all right, and Arne Slot now has an elite-level playmaker in the attacking third of the field – all the more important with Trent Alexander-Arnold signing for Real Madrid.
Though FSG would like to turn their attention toward the front of the pitch, there’s little question that a replacement for Luis Diaz would need to be sourced, should he leave this summer.
It’s for this reason that rumours have gathered apace regarding Newcastle United’s Anthony Gordon.
Why Liverpool want Anthony Gordon
Last summer, Liverpool were offered the chance to sign Gordon as Newcastle sweated over PSR; after failing to qualify for Europe, the Magpies were forced to stare at their jewels and decide which to sell.
Liverpool were curious, but Newcastle found other ways to offset their troubles, selling more outlying members of Eddie Howe’s squad.
Now, the Merseysiders are keen once again, and Newcastle might be open to selling if their £100m valuation is met.
Liverpool are hardly going to meet such exorbitant demands, but if Diaz does leave, with suitors in Barcelona and the Saudi Pro League, then Reds intrigue in their former academy member, who left and joined Everton when he was 11, could take a more solid shape.
Would Liverpool be getting bang for their buck by signing Gordon for such a figure? Would they really? What about an alternative, one who would arrive for a similar fee but pack a far meatier punch under Slot’s wing?
Liverpool leading race for Diaz heir
Liverpool could sign an even bigger talent than Gordon if they advance their long-standing interest in Real Madrid’s Rodrygo, with Spanish reports claiming that the Brazilian forward could be sold for €90m (£77m) this summer.
More to the point, the Anfield side are considered alongside Manchester City to be the favourites in the race for the talented winger, though further Premier League sides are keen. Arsenal, in previous reports, have been credited with an interest.
Coming off the back of a difficult year, both Slot and Pep Guardiola believe a poor Club World Cup campaign could leave Rodrygo isolated, and with his valuation slashed toward a more agreeable €75m (£64m) ballpark.
How Rodrygo would perform for Slot
Picture this: it’s a decade ago, and Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Brendan Rodgers. The staple of Liverpool’s summer 2015 transfer window was the £32.5m acquisition of Christian Benteke from Aston Villa.
Ten years later and Liverpool are among the frontrunners for superstars like Rodrygo, having won two Premier League titles, the Champions League and plenty more across the intervening years.
It was over ten years ago that Liverpool released Gordon when he was a youngster, and though the England international is talented and a boyhood fan of the club, Rodrygo is the superior player, even if he only notched 14 goals and ten assists across 51 matches last season.
That’s not exactly a terrible haul, though the 24-year-old did only score six goals and six assists across the La Liga season, albeit missing just one big chance in front of goal, as per Sofascore, to emphasise his clinical ability.
The crux of Rodrygo’s Madrid malaise is that he’s routinely fielded out on the right, despite feeling the alternate flank as being his best position. Indeed, the right-footer has been far more prolific when playing as a left winger.
|
Rodrygo – Real Madrid Stats by Position (24/25) |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals |
Assists |
|
Right winger |
29 |
7 |
4 |
|
Left winger |
12 |
6 |
6 |
|
Centre-forward |
8 |
0 |
0 |
|
Stats via Transfermarkt |
|||
The problem, however, is that Vinicius Junior holds down the fort in that area, with focal frontman Kylian Mbappe also preferring the left side to the right, as can be observed through his league season heatmap.
Given that Mohamed Salah is staying at Liverpool for the next two years, it hardly seems likely that Liverpool would make a marquee move and bring Rodrygo into the fold just for him to play second fiddle to the Egyptian.
Instead, he could replace Diaz, who, at 28, isn’t indispensable, and prove an upgrade on Gordon, with the 24-year-old also enduring something of a tough term in front of goal for the Toon, equal to Rodrygo in that he posted six goals and six assists in the Premier League.
As Liverpool plan to foray deep into next year’s Champions League knockout stage, putting themselves on a platform to claim number seven, Rodrygo would be the perfect fit, for his pedigree on the biggest stage speaks for itself.
Gordon failed to register a goal involvement across his six games in the 2023/24 Champions League, and while he’ll have the chance to rectify that over the coming year, Rodrygo is tried and tested, hailed as a “special striker” who can “play in all positions” by former Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti.
A fierce blend of speed, skills and strength, Rodrygo would be a statement signing for a Liverpool side who are undergoing a good amount of change this summer. While the Brazil star would be a new part, he’d arrive with a wealth of experience at the highest level, and Slot’s sharp tactics would surely whip him back into an elite standard.
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