In football, success is rarely guaranteed. Even though the exhilaration of triumphing over fierce opponents delivers fleeting bursts of adrenaline and mocks rivalry, how often does it truly translate into something tangible?
This is particularly important for the majority of Premier League teams, who are left in the shadows by Manchester City’s dominance under Pep Guardiola.
Liverpool? The crushing blows of near misses and “what-ifs?” have hurt, pulled, and pinched Liverpool. Despite rising to legendary heights under the lionized Jurgen Klopp, they have still had to relinquish permanent sporting triumph to the all-conquering Citizens.
Even so, Liverpool has had greater success than most, winning every championship under Klopp, who left the team after almost nine years in office. His successor, Arne Slot, will aim to guide Liverpool to even greater heights by making strategic additions to the first squad at Anfield.
Where precisely is that central point of concern? Liverpool is adept at hiding their most private transfer plans, but the material that has surfaced thus far points to the recruitment of a wide forward and a central defender as being of the utmost significance.
Over the past week, transfers involving Liverpool have primarily featured wingers.
Liverpool turned down Newcastle United’s offer to trade Jarell Quansah and money for Anthony Gordon, a winger who won the Magpies’ 2023–24 Player of the Season title, last weekend.
Gordon, a former Everton player and childhood Red, is a player that Liverpool admires, but FSG feels they have plenty of options at left wing, and Liverpool do have plenty of options.
After a 34-goal season with SL Benfica, which solidified his place as one of Europe’s most promising young attackers by netting five goals in the Champions League against Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and… Liverpool, he arrived with a highly regarded reputation from his days in Portugal.