Arne Slot is looking to make it a trophy-filled debut campaign at the Liverpool helm, but he’s not going to want to stop there.
The Dutchman inherited a top-class squad from Jurgen Klopp but has refined and polished the players to a standard that has seen them stretch 13 points clear at the top of the Premier League, also looking to wade deep into the Champions League knockout stage.
But this Merseyside outfit wants enduring success at the apex of the game. And to achieve that, FSG will need to invest this summer.
But they will also need to trim the fat.
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In fairness, with Darwin Nunez slated for a summer exit, Liverpool are going to need to invest big on a centre-forward. Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak is right at the top of the wishlist, but with a £150m price tag, you can see the kind of financial obstacles sporting director Richard Hughes might encounter.
There is soon-contractless Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk will sign new lucrative deals at Anfield, Trent Alexander-Arnold too – however, with Real Madrid desperate for his signature, the Scouser’s future is more nebulous.
Salah, who has scored 30 goals and supplied 22 assists across all competitions this season, is irreplaceable and must stay on the books. He turns 33 this summer but plays with preternatural athleticism, and would be a major player for several years to come.
But still, support is needed. Luckily, Liverpool have the perfect understudy in 19-year-old Ben Doak, who has enjoyed a successful loan in the Championship with Middlesbrough this term.
Doak is powerful, pacy and potent, with former Scotland manager Craig Levein even claiming: “this kid could be a world-class player.”
With such an exciting talent bursting onto the Anfield scene, it’s surely time for Slot to confer with FSG chiefs and make a decision on one struggling star’s future.
FSG should axe £150k-per-week Liverpool flop
Change is going to be afoot on Merseyside. However, if a player of Isak’s calibre is to become the central star of Slot’s squad, unnecessary members will need to be cashed in.
And while you should never write a player off, Federico Chiesa has flattered to deceive all season and doesn’t look like he’s going to become a significant piece in Slot’s long-term plans.
The sole first-team arrival last summer, Liverpool signed Chiesa from Juventus as he entered the final year of his contract. The Old Lady wanted to cash in, and welcomed a cut-price £12.5m bid.
Once regarded as a “world-class” forward by those such as journalist Zach Lowy, the Italy international – instrumental in winning the 2020 Euros – has endured a torrid time on the injury front, with residual problems keeping him on the sidelines for much of his opening period on Merseyside.
Mohamed Salah
39 (37)
30
22
Cody Gakpo
38 (25)
16
5
Luis Diaz
38 (28)
13
4
Diogo Jota
25 (15)
8
3
Darwin Nunez
36 (16)
6
5
Federico Chiesa
10 (3)
1
2
With just one goal to his name this term and not a single Premier League start to boast, Chiesa, 27, is struggling.
The £150k-per-week forward’s sale may be necessary. After all, he’s one of the top earners. So much so that Nunez (£140k per week) and the £120k-per-week Dominik Szoboszlai take home a smaller purse. This is in large part due to his existing salary in Italy.
In fact, Sky Sports’ Jamie Carragher, not one to mince words, even remarked that Chiesa has “contributed nothing” since moving to England.
Given the Reds met with their fringe forward’s representatives in January to discuss the possibility of a premature exit, it doesn’t look good for a player who is used sparingly by Slot.
When Doak returns, is he going to be kept in the shadows? Will Chiesa be ahead in the pecking order?
It’s time to prepare to cash in.
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