With Liverpool in clear need of midfield incomings at the end of the campaign, there are a number of links that continue to stay in the limelight.
Kouadio ‘Manu’ Kone is one such name with one report also listing Khephren Thuram as two options the Reds are monitoring ahead of the summer transfer window.
“Meanwhile, Kouadio Kone of Borussia Monchengladbach and Khephren Thuram of Nice are still being monitored after Liverpool opted not to make a move in January,” Jacque Talbot reported for Football Transfers. “Sources in France anticipate Thuram leaving this summer window and the Ligue 1 side are not expecting to recoup a massive fee for him.”
Matheus Nunes and Jude Bellingham are understood to be the club’s top two targets, though it remains unclear whether the budget available will stretch to cover a third possible addition.
We may very well take comfort from the fact that the Nice star shouldn’t cost a fortune, especially whilst we’re keeping our eyes peeled for appropriate cover in the holding midfield role.
The worrying reality for Jurgen Klopp’s recruitment team is that it’s appearing increasingly clear that a midfield revamp alone won’t be enough to propel us back into the quadruple-hunting heights of 2021/22.
There are serious question marks over the backline with Joel Matip looking a likely candidate to be sold on in the summer whilst Joe Gomez has much to prove despite signing a long-term contract only last summer.
Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are the accepted first-choice centre-half pairing but there should be alarm at the general drop in quality behind the duo.
That’s perhaps a job for the following January window or the summer after that but it’s an area we can’t afford to ignore far beyond the end of the campaign.
40% of Liverpool’s summer loans failed – what’s happened to the club’s loan system?
Let´s be realistic. There is no way Jude bellingham is going to join Liverpool. He will surely go to a club offering Champions League football. There is no chance of Liverpool being able to do that; the chances of European football at all are probably no better than 60/40. Much the same goes for other top players linked with Liverpool.
Liverpool have a huge rebuilding job, one or two players is not going to make a top 6, nerer mind 4 team. The drop in quality of not only the best 11, but squad as a whole has been dramatic and alarming.. Fighting for 7th place is not a great future and more thought and less whining from Klopp would be helpful.
Let’s be realistic. Liverpool are not going to qualify for the Champions League and are no more than 60/40 to qualify for European at all this season. Liverpool have a lot to do before they can seriously expect to achieve top 6, let alone top 4, for the next few seasons. Both the quality and depth of the squad has the declined dramatically in the last year and it will take more than 1 or 2 good signings to put things right. By put things right I mean to be able to compete with the likes of Arsenalor Newcastle for players. I am not just talking about competing financially, but top players will want to go to top teams. Sorry if that sounds brutal, but facts have to be faced. If clop did more thinking and less whining it would be a start.
There is no way a player like Bellingham, who will have choice of any club in Europe, and will want togo to a club that is likely to be playing for 7th place for the next few seasons. That also goes for plenty more players than Bellingham.