How Can Liverpool Improve Heading Into Next Year?
ARTICLE WRITTEN BY MattyLFC
Well, after the soul-crushing loss to City, I think we can all agree it’s a long shot to win the
league. We can never stop believing in this team, especially after all the amazing comebacks
they’ve had this season, but injuries have certainly deflated them, among other things (for an
analysis of that, you could look at my previous article). In that case, my focus has shifted to
next season, where we’ve already made moves that’ll make our deals easier. The team more or
less crumbled when van Dijk went down. Any team would, don’t get me wrong, but it wouldn’t
hurt to have a comparable talent alongside him to help keep the ship afloat. In the midfield, Ox
and Keita haven’t been as good as advertised and a more attacking midfielder could certainly
help the team in a few areas. Up top, with the front three all nearing the age of 30, it would
certainly be helpful to have another younger option brought in. Just like Jota, bringing in
another young forward could not only motivate the front three, but could also give them much needed rest. As we saw this season, the depth in this team is good when healthy, but isn’t
healthy enough to be depended upon. That being said, let’s dive into it.
Before I begin, note that I’m using Transfermarkt for player valuation. Now, looking at who
should possibly leave this summer, I think the four that would make the most sense are Matip,
Keita, Shaqiri, and Origi. This isn’t quite the extent that some would wish for, but I’ll explain
why. I don’t think we can get rid of everybody we want in one summer and spend £300 million
like City to buy eight new players. I’m trying to be somewhat realistic here. On Transfermarkt,
the valuation of these players are as follows: $35.2 million for Matip, $44 million for Keita, $17.6
million for Shaqiri, and the same price as Shaqiri for Origi. Assuming we can sell them for that
price, we’ve got $114 million in the bank, which equates to £83 million in player sales. Now,
why these players? Albeit brilliant, the first two cannot be depended on whatsoever to stay
healthy and are going to be replaced in this scenario. The other two will be forced out of the
team due to the amount of numbers we’ll have next year (Minamino and Elliott are returning
and should be given first team opportunities). So, now that we’ve set a certain number for
spending, let’s figure out who to get.
Obviously the first name that’s been coming up again and again at CB is Dayot Upamecano.
The 22-year-old has established himself as one of the best in the world at RB Leipzig. His value
has currently peaked at about £48 million, which would take up more than half of the budget,
but he’s arguably worth it at that price. Standing 1.86 meters tall, he’s completed 87% of his
passes and has won 2.5 aerial duels per game, certainly like the big man we’ve missed so
much this season. Again, he’s only 22, so there’s much room to grow to be even better.
However, with Upamecano linked with Bayern, there’s an interesting situation brewing with the
Bavarians. Apparently, with Jerome Boateng set to extend his contract at Bayern and with
Upamecano likely to be poached by the Champions League winners, Niklas Sule, whose contract expires at the end of next season, could want out. Sule is 25 years of age and stands
at 1.95 meters tall. Coming off an ACL tear from last season, he’s been limited this season,
meaning his current value is only £38.5 million at the moment. In his last full season for Bayern,
Sule’s stats were actually better than Upamecano, completing 93% of his passes while winning
2.6 aerial duels per game. Furthermore, he completed 6 long balls per game (crucial element of
Virgil’s game) and his 0.9 tackles per game suggest that he’s a great reader of the game. Lastly,
due to the silly homegrown quota, perhaps we should take a look at Ben White. Standing 1.82
meters tall at 23 years of age, White would be significantly cheaper in terms of value, at £17.7
million, but we’d likely pay much more because he’s English. In his first season in the Premier
League, his stats fall far short of the other two options, completing only 81% of his passes and
winning 1.4 aerial duels per game. In my opinion, he’d be better to bed in as a hot prospect
than to use as a consistent starter. Personally, I’d pick Upamecano based on age and relative
lack of injury, but Sule would certainly be a very intriguing option. If his peak is better than
Upamecano, and he’d be cheaper, perhaps Sule would indeed be the better pick.
Moving on to the midfield, there are a couple of options that intrigue me within the Premier
League. What I’m looking for is what we’ve lacked, really, since Coutinho left, with the
exception of spurts from Ox and Keita. What I want is a goal scoring midfielder, someone to
take some pressure off the front three and to also give Bobby another guy to work with in the
midfield. This makes Thiago’s job easier too, as he can sit back and ping passes to this guy
and watch some magic happen. My favorite for this position is James Maddison of Leicester
City. Only 24 years of age, Maddison graded out as the third most creative midfielder in the
Premier League last season, behind only de Bruyne and, surprisingly, Norwich City’s Emi
Buendia. Capable of playing as a left or right wing, as an eight, or as a ten, Maddison is
extremely versatile in addition to being very productive. This season, in 21 games, Maddison
has 9 goals and 6 assists while also averaging 2 key passes per game, key passes meaning
passes that should’ve led to assists. A prolific player, young, and English, his current value
rests at almost £44 million, an absolute bargain for a game changer like Maddison. Another
midfielder I like is James Ward-Prowse. Not only is he the best set-piece taker in world football,
he had grown into a leader for Southampton at the age of 26. Not only do I think he’d be an
intriguing addition to the side, but I like him as a potential replacement for Milner or Captain
Hendo at some point down the line in terms of a leadership role. In 27 total appearances this
season, Ward-Prowse has 6 goals and 5 assists while averaging 1.7 key passes per game. His
tackling and interceptions also rank among the best in the league for midfielders, proving his
standing as a true all-rounder. With his value currently at a mere £20 million, Ward-Prowse
would be an absolute steal, even if Southampton wish to jack up the price. Now, if we’re
looking outside the Premier League, someone like Florian Neuhaus of Borussia
Monchengladbach would make sense. With Bayern nipping at his heels after he made his
intention to leave Monchengladbach public, we’d have to move quick for him, but he could
prove to be an astute purchase. 23 years old, Neuhaus has 7 goals and 4 assists in 31
appearances this season in all competitions, averaging 0.8 key passes per game. He seems
more suited to a deeper role, however, as his finishing isn’t great and his 4 long balls per game
are. Besides this, his defensive game could use some work. With his value currently at £24
million, he’d be a bit more of a project than the other 2, but could be cheaper and better.
Lastly, the forward group could use a bit of work. With Jota out, it’s become clear that our
vaunted front three need quality players to back them up or else they become tired. This is true
for anyone in the squad, but especially for the forwards because of the amount of work they do
in the pressing game. It could also be noted that many have pounded the table for a more
classical, taller fox-in-the-box type of striker to win close games against teams that sit back.
For a touch of modern combined with that classical style, with clinical finishing to boot, the
forward on everyone’s wish list this summer is the 20-year-old Norwegian sensation Erling
Haaland, whose transfer value is through the roof at £80 million. 1.94 meters tall, Haaland has
scored 31 goals in 30 games this season, a remarkable standard for any forward. He averages about 4 shots per game, indicating a high volume of chances created, and surprisingly averages almost a dribble per game, meaning he can carry the ball like Bobby and set people up. His speed is undeniable, flying past defenders with ease. It is unfair for a man as tall as Haaland to be as fast as he is. You could say he needs to improve his defense, but a striker like him is both imposing enough and productive enough for that to not be an issue. However, if we are looking for the next Jota instead of an already world-class superstar, then Donyell Malen could prove to be a shrewd purchase. Ripping it up in the Eredivisie over the past two seasons, the 22-year-old Malen has scored 17 goals in 30 games this season playing across the front three. Standing at 1.79 meters, he’s averaged 3 shots on goal per game while possessing many of the traits that Mane has made a killing off of: brilliant dribbling, great ball retention, and solid finishing. While he wouldn’t be your tall or traditional striker like Haaland, Malen would certainly fit well with our front three as a versatile backup and even a challenger to Firmino. Worth just over £20 million, Malen would be a bargain. Lastly, as a very raw talent, SuperSub’s predicted shock signing of last summer, Patson Daka, would prove a smart choice. The 22- year-old from RB Salzburg stands 1.83 meters tall and has scored 18 goals in 19 games, averaging 2.3 shots on goal per game. Daka can play anywhere across the front three and his value currently is about £16 million. Again, a rather raw player but one bursting at the seams with potential.
In conclusion, Liverpool’s downfall this season has largely been injury and lack of rest. These
potential signings, however, do more than just safeguard against these potential occurrences
by providing better depth, but they offer a way to play differently. With a more creative midfield
and more options to choose from in the forward core, we could play through the middle well
and create goal-scoring chances for people other than the front three. In short, the teams that
have stymied us this season couldn’t do so as easily. This is how Liverpool can improve for
next season: don’t overhaul the squad, but rather add to it and provide variations in formation,
tactics, and style. Do that, and it won’t be hard to see us crowned champions in 2022.
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