John Aldridge has urged Jurgen Klopp to go all out for Borussia Dortmund man Erling Haaland in the summer, with Bobby Firmino becoming a “concern”, as reported by Sunday World (via Goal).
The Brazilian’s form has been questioned of late, despite producing a remarkable display in Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to Manchester United in the FA Cup, setting up both of Mo Salah’s goals.
“Roberto Firmino’s form has been a concern for some time, so I would encourage Liverpool to do all they can to sign Erling Haaland next summer,” the ex-Red said. “A player like Haaland would give them that variation and while he would cost in excess of £100m to sign from Dortmund, he is the man I’d like to see Liverpool go for.”
“Haaland has everything you look for to be a top centre-forward and having him alongside Mane, Salah and Diogo Jota next season would give Liverpool a real chance to spring back into contention for the top trophies,” Aldridge added. “Whether Liverpool’s owners would sanction this kind of transfer is a different issue as they appear to be reluctant to spend money, even at a time when Klopp is crying out for a central defender.”
Haaland is a name Liverpool have been linked to previously, by virtue – much in a similar vein to Kylian Mbappe and Jadon Sancho – of the sheer talent on offer.
That’s not to say that a club of our stature would be incapable of persuading such a player to make a switch to Anfield but, as ever, the likelihood of a move will be determined by the finances available (in addition to whether the 20-year-old is perceived to be a right fit).
Given that the club is likely to spend big on defensive reinforcements in the summer, not to mention the financial impact of COVID-19, it’s hardly a signing we at the EOTK can see being sanctioned.
We could always be surprised of course, but with Dortmund’s asking price for the forward (who’s on contract at the Signal Iduna Park until 2024) likely to exceed £100m it’s hardly an optimistic picture being painted.