All posts by z3u9t.icu

Glasgow Rangers will hope that the signings they made during the winter window are enough to lead them to more glory during the remaining months of the 2023/24 campaign.

Philippe Clement could yet rue missing out on several players, however, especially a striker who had been discussed plenty during the window…

Shankland move never happens

Lawrence Shankland was the name that was on most people's lips throughout the transfer window, but it appears Clement did not show much interest in bringing him to Glasgow in the first place.

There is no doubt the 28-year-old would have scored plenty in this Rangers side, especially with the creative talent that would have generated plenty of chances, but it looks as though it was not to be.

Clement will still be able to call upon the likes of Cyriel Dessers, Fabio Silva and potentially Kemar Roofe (if he can even return to full fitness) as they look to battle Celtic for the Premiership crown.

The Belgian may also be able to call on some youth talent should things get desperate, and he could even have a bigger talent than the current Hearts forward in his ranks – with Zak Lovelace making waves since joining in 2022.

Rangers set for late transfer blunder after striker update emerges

Rangers may have endured a deadline day blunder at Ibrox.

ByRoss Kilvington Feb 1, 2024 Zak Lovelace could be the next big thing at Rangers

Giovanni van Bronckhorst looked like he pulled off a wonderful move when he secured the signature of Lovelace during the summer of 2022.

This was a player who had become the second-youngest debutant in Millwall’s history in December 2021, coming off the bench against Coventry to feature for the club.

During his first season in Glasgow, Lovelace was a hit for the B team, scoring 18 goals and registering ten assists as he proved he could emerge as a future first-team gem.

Van Bronckhorst actually gave him his senior bow not long after he joined, with the Englishman enjoying a cameo against Queen of the South in the League Cup.

Michael Beale gave him another outing during the final Old Firm match of the season in a 3-0 win over Celtic and following an injury crisis during the opening few months of the current campaign, interim manager Steven Davis started him against St Mirren.

The youngster looked threatening in the opening exchanges before he went down with a hamstring problem and has not been available since.

Former sporting director Ross Wilson hailed Lovelace as an “exciting young player” when he joined, but the injury came at a time when he could have made a solid impression in the first team.

The 18-year-old is a sensational talent and one that should have a big future at Ibrox if he can regain full fitness and prove his worth to Clement.

Perhaps he might be an even bigger talent than Shankland and the sooner he returns from injury, the greater chance he will have of breaking back into the senior setup under the new regime.

Missing out on a striker during the winter window may come back to haunt the club, but the future looks bright indeed.

The January transfer window is well underway and Liverpool have the opportunity to add to their playing squad if they decide they need to bolster their ranks.

However, the Reds could also decide to wait until the summer to do their business if they feel that better deals, and players, will be available to them.

One player who has been linked with a possible move to Anfield is Barcelona forward Raphinha, who was reported to be of interest to the club in November 2023 ahead of the January window.

That same month, FootballTransfers claimed that Spurs are keen on a deal to sign the former Leeds United star, who has been valued at €70m (£60m) by the Spanish side.

Jurgen Klopp could free up Reds superstar Mohamed Salah to play in a permanent new role as a centre-forward by securing a deal to sign winger Raphinha.

Mo Salah's goal record as a striker

The 31-year-old sensation has only started 34 matches as a striker in his Liverpool career and plundered 28 goals and seven assists in those outings.

This means that Salah has averaged a goal or an assist every 0.97 games across those 34 appearances as a centre-forward, away from his usual position on the right flank.

Whereas, the former Chelsea prospect has racked up 176 goals and 80 assists in 294 matches as a right-winger for Liverpool. This is an average of a goal or an assist every 1.15 games.

Of course, there is no guarantee that Salah would be able to replicate his aforementioned form as a striker over the course of an entire season, but it does show that he has the potential to be very effective there.

The stats that show why Raphinha could dominate alongside Salah

Klopp could free up the Egypt international to play down the middle on a regular basis by bringing in Raphinha to line up on the right flank.

The Brazil international is a talented right-sided forward who has the ability to score and create goals at an impressive rate, as shown by his form in LaLiga and the Premier League during his career.

Since his move to Barcelona at the start of last season, Raphinha has racked up ten goals, 12 assists, and 23 'big chances' created in 33 LaLiga starts.

Appearances

65

Starts

60

Goals

17

Assists

12

Big chances created

22

As you can see in the table above, the left-footed magician has already proven his quality as a scorer and creator of goals in English football for the Yorkshire-based side.

Raphinha, who AllLeedsTV presenter Oscar Marrio once described as “unplayable”, chipped in with 11 goals and ten 'big chances' created in 35 Premier League games during his final season at Leeds. That is a goal or a 'big chance' created every 1.66 games on average.

Whereas, current Liverpool winger Luis Diaz – who plays on the left flank – has produced three goals and one 'big chance' created in 19 top-flight appearances this term, which is an average of one every 4.75 outings.

This illustrates the step-up in quality that Raphinha could provide with his attacking quality in the final third, which would also allow Salah to be a lethal number nine for the Reds moving forward – latching on to the Brazilian ace's terrific passes and crosses to find the back of the net.

During last summer's transfer window, three Premier League teams – Chelsea (£424.8m), Spurs (£213.4m) and Manchester City (£211.1m) – spent more than Arsenal (£203.5m) outright. However, when you go by net spend, the Gunners (£124.7m) were second only to Chelsea (£203.5m) in the league rankings.

Until their London rivals signed Moises Caicedo in mid-August, Arsenal's move for West Ham midfielder Declan Rice was the most expensive ever conducted between two English clubs. On top of that, they acquired attacker Kai Havertz from Stamford Bridge, defender Jurrien Timber from Ajax and goalkeeper David Raya from Brentford on an initial loan.

Given that, relatively speaking, Arsenal weren't able to recoup much of this spend back through sales, it's no surprise that manager Mikel Arteta needs to think about balancing the books if he wants to add to his squad again in January.

Nketiah price set at £30m

According to The Star, Arsenal have slapped a £30m price tag on striker Eddie Nketiah amid interest from Crystal Palace. Nketiah is "highly-regarded at the Emirates" and so the Gunners will drive a hard bargain, even insisting upon a sell-on clause as part of a potential transfer.

The possible departure of Nketiah is connected to the arrival of a new centre-forward, with Arsenal interested in Bournemouth's Dominic Solanke as well as the well documented links to Brentford's Ivan Toney. Nketiah's exit could free up the funds and space to make a move for a new number nine.

"Complete" Solanke is better than Nketiah

Nketiah has played a significant volume of football this season, appearing in 27 matches and logging 1,266 minutes overall. He's started half of Arsenal's 20 Premier League games and banged in six goals, an average of one every 211 minutes. He's shown he's a decent understudy to Gabriel Jesus, but if Arsenal are keen on an upgrade and Nketiah commands a significant fee, then there's little point keeping him round.

At the start of the season, few Gunners fans would have had any interest in links with Solanke, who had never scored more than six goals in a Premier League season. However, just 20 games into the current campaign, he's already doubled that tally, with only Mohamed Salah and Erling Haaland (both 14) ahead of him in the rankings.

Erling Haaland

Manchester City

Norway

14

Mohamed Salah

Liverpool

Egypt

14

Dominic Solanke

Bournemouth

England

12

Son Heung-min

Tottenham

South Korea

12

Jarrod Bowen

West Ham

England

11

Hwang Hee-chan

Wolves

South Korea

10

Alexander Isak

Newcastle

Sweden

9

Ollie Watkins

Aston Villa

England

9

Cole Palmer

Chelsea

England

8

Nicolas Jackson

Chelsea

Senegal

7

Significantly, Solanke's output looks sustainable. He's only marginally out-performing his xG (11.0), so you can't put his dramatic upturn down to freakishly good finishing (FBRef). Instead, it's reflective of the quality of his opportunities, and by extension, the intelligence of his movement in and around the penalty area.

Arsenal legend Thierry Henry, who has scored more Premier League goals for the club than anybody else, is a big fan of Solanke, crediting him for a "brilliant" run of form after watching him "struggle" early in his career (Bournemouth Echo).

Meanwhile, Andoni Iraola, his manager at Bournemouth, has billed him the "complete" striker, emphasising that there are facets to his game beyond goalscoring. Indeed, when compared to positional peers over the last year, the 26-year-old ranks in the 75th percentile or better for blocks (0.9), clearances (1.4), progressive carries (1.96) and successful take-ons (1.26), which shows that he's a committed press-leader and a gifted dribbler (FBRef). No wonder Arsenal are interested in such a convincing all-round package.

If Aston Villa do end up finishing in the Champions League places this season, some of the credit will have to go to former manager Dean Smith, who helped to build the squad with which Unai Emery is achieving so much success.

Villa's top three scorers this season – Ollie Watkins (14), Leon Bailey (9) and Douglas Luiz (7) – were all recruited by Smith, while defender Ezri Konsa and goalkeeper Emi Martinez have started every single game for which they've been available. Right-back Matty Cash has also been heavily involved, with 15 starts from 20 games (Transfermarkt).

It's tempting to wonder how big a role another of Smith's targets could have played if Villa had been successful in their pursuit. In the summer of 2021, Villa made two bids for Arsenal's Emile Smith Rowe, the second of which was worth £30m, but the Gunners simply refused to entertain any offers. Now, though, one journalist has talked up Villa's chances of bringing him to the Midlands should they choose to revive their interest.

Smith Rowe opening emerges

Smith Rowe missed five weeks of action between late October and early December through injury, but he's been fit and available for the rest of the season. Despite that, he's hardly been used by manager Mikel Arteta, only making six Premier League appearances (one from the start and five from the bench). Already, he's remained an unused substitute on eight occasions.

The cup competitions haven't offered much respite, either. Arsenal exited the League Cup at the second hurdle and Smith Rowe didn't make the XI for any of their Champions League group games.

Speaking to GiveMeSport, journalist and transfer insider Dean Jones urged Villa to make an opportunistic return for Smith Rowe if indeed their interest is "still bubbling away". He thinks Arsenal will now be much more inclined to consider a sale, and wonders if Villa are already aware of his frustrating situation.

"Villa made a couple of bids for Smith Rowe last year, and if that interest is still bubbling away, then this would be an ideal moment to go and have another go," he said.

"I feel like Arsenal will be tempted to cash in on someone who isn't an essential first-team player. Smith Rowe is a very good player with a really good attitude and good application. I think it'd be a very good signing for Aston Villa. Part of me does wonder if they've been keeping an eye on the fact he's only started one Premier League game this season."

Smith Rowe has already shown huge promise

It's easy to forget how much excitement Smith Rowe was generating when he first broke into the Arsenal side. Jamie Carragher raved about him in the autumn of 2021, declaring that he was the "best player in the Premier League running with the ball" and describing him as a "special talent".

Meanwhile, former Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish used the nickname "the Croydon De Bruyne" during an England training session. Midway through the 2021/22 season, Smith Rowe was actually bettering the Manchester City star for assists, and minutes per goal contribution.

All confirmed Premier League done deals: January transfer window 2024

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ByLuke Randall Feb 1, 2024

The Londoner would end the campaign with ten Premier League goals, earning a nomination for PFA Young Player of the Year and the Premier League's Young Player of the Season award.

90min has previously reported that Smith Rowe would consider his future in the winter if there aren't any signs of improvement in his Arsenal situation, and that moment of truth has now arrived, with Villa potentially watching on.

ESPN broadcaster Christian Martin has a five-word update for Tottenham Hotspur supporters amid the club’s links to Juventus forward Paulo Dybala.

The Lowdown: Spurs in the mix?

Spurs could take to the free agent market this summer in a bid to back manager Antonio Conte with his desired upgrades for the 2022/2023 Premier League season.

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The Italian is on the cusp of guiding his side to a Champions League qualification place with just one point needed against the already-relegated Norwich this Sunday.

Few would’ve envisaged this stunning turnaround after the sacking of Nuno Espirito Santo late last year and it’s safe to say there is plenty of cause to be positive at Hotspur Way.

The upcoming transfer window is set to be a very interesting one given Conte’s alleged major demands behind-the-scenes with a real N17 overhaul on the cards, according to reports.

One man who has been linked with a move to north London is Juve star Dybala who looks set to leave Turin on a Bosman deal, and as per Martin of ESPN, there’s been a development involving Spurs.

The Latest: Lilywhites ‘go’ for Dybala…

According to the broadcaster, the Lilywhites and transfer chief Fabio Paratici by extension are now pushing to sign the Argentine.

Martin, dropping a five-word message on Twitter in the last 24 hours, explained:

“Tottenham go for Paulo Dybala.”

The Verdict: Promising…

The 28-year-old is a proven Serie A star having racked up 98 goals and 51 assists during his time in the Italian top flight (Transfermarkt).

Still in his prime, Dybala has impressed this season under Massimiliano Allegri with 15 goals and six assists in all competitions.

His versatility across the forward line, having experience in a variety of attacking roles both out wide and through the middle, could also back exactly why he appeals to Conte and Paratici.

The fact Spurs could sign him for zero transfer cost is a big incentive to move and we believe this update comes as a promising one.

Pundit Paddy Kenny, speaking to Football Insider recently, called Dybala a would-be ‘statement’ signing and we’re inclined to agree given his real pedigree and experience at the top level.

In other news: ‘Spurs will…’ – Fabrizio Romano shares exciting behind-scenes update with Conte ‘very happy’, find out more here.

Tottenham Hotspur will be looking to build on their derby day triumph in midweek as they welcome Burnley to north London for today’s lunchtime kickoff in the Premier League.

After thrashing arch-rivals Arsenal 3-0 on Thursday night, Antonio Conte’s side moved to within one point of a place in the top four but the Clarets, who also need a win to bolster their survival chances in what is surely a huge game at either end of the table.

The Italian head coach is left with plenty to ponder in terms of team selection and he could well be tempted to remain unchanged – some of his in-game decisions against the Gunners certainly suggested that as both Heung-min Son and Dejan Kulusevski were withdrawn prematurely.

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And the latter is an interesting dilemma, having already been dropped from the starting XI once in recent weeks, despite a red-hot start to life in the English captial.

Since his move from Juventus in January, the Sweden international has delivered three goals and eight assists across 18 appearances, including two assists from the bench against Leicester City, where he was initially amongst the substitutes for nearly an hour.

Conte may have felt he was in need of a rest but it does show that he’s not completely undroppable, with both Lucas Moura and Steven Bergwijn as alternative options.

Tired or not, Kulusevski must start against the Lancashire outfit today.

The £31.5m-rated winger, described as “explosive” by former Aston Villa man Marcus Allback, has all the attributes to destroy a struggling team like Burnley.

As per FBRef, Kulusevski ranks amongst the top 2% of all his positional peers across Europe’s ‘big five’ divisions for assists per 90 (0.46), amongst the top 4% for pressures (23.96 per 90) and amongst the top 6% for interceptions (1.69 per 90).

It’s no wonder he has quickly cemented himself as first-choice under Conte as he clearly defends from the front, often forcing the opposition into a mistake or handing the possession back to Spurs.

Elsewhere, the Juve loanee is third to only Son and Harry Kane for shots (1.4 per game) and second to the South Korean for key chances created (1.4 per game), via WhoScored.

The Clarets are expected to be without their first-choice central defensive pairing of Ben Mee and James Tarkowski, so Kulusevski could quite easily wreak havoc at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this afternoon.

Said to be in “ridiculous” form by football.london reporter Alasdair Gold, the persistence with the Swedish machine out wide could seriously bolster the Whites’ top-four chances.

He must be unleashed once more today.

AND in other news, Conte demands Spurs to sign £25m-rated “revelation”, he’s miles better than Emerson…

Phil Hay has reacted to news of relegation for Leeds United’s under-23s over the weekend.

The Lowdown: Another weekend to forget

Jesse Marsch’s first team dropped into the bottom three for the first time since October following a 2-1 defeat at Arsenal on Sunday and have just three Premier League matches remaining to pull themselves out of trouble.

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Former Whites loanee Eddie Nketiah scored twice early on at the Emirates before captain Luke Ayling received a straight red card for a terrible tackle on Gabriel Martinelli. It was arguably one of Leeds’ worst first-half displays all season, and things got worse for the club at half-time in that match.

The Latest: Hay’s tweet

At the same time that Leeds’ first team were heading into the dressing room two goals down at Arsenal, Chelsea’s under-23s managed to turn things around against Tottenham, meaning that the Whites have been relegated from the top tier of Premier League 2.

Hay took to Twitter to react to the news, stating: “Sad to report, Leeds U23s have been relegated. Chelsea stay up after beating Spurs.”

The Verdict: When it rains, it pours

It looked as if the under-23s would avoid the drop as Chelsea were trailing with 10 minutes to go in a must-win game, but two goals in the final 10 minutes for the Blues summed up how things have gone at Elland Road this season from top to bottom.

Hopefully Hay won’t have another Leeds relegation to report on over the coming two weeks, but Marsch’s side will need to pick up some points against either Chelsea, Brighton or Brentford to ensure their Premier League safety.

They are also without numerous senior players for the final three games, with Ayling joining that list following his ridiculous sending off, so Leeds will have to do it the hard way if they are to survive.

In other news: Marsch now set to lose Leeds player with ‘incredible engine’ this summer. 

The Lewis family have been tipped to pump more money into Tottenham, following the shock departure of ex-chairman Daniel Levy last week, and these funds could be put towards their recruitment plans.

That is according to Sky Sports reporter Kaveh Solhekol, who shared news on a live broadcast that ENIC are planning a cash injection.

Levy helped to transform the Lilywhites into one of world football’s highest-revenue generating clubs over his 24-year tenure running the club, with Tottenham also moving to their state-of-the-art new stadium to seriously bolster their commercial appeal off the field.

Real Madrid

£1.2 billion

Man City

£727 million

PSG

£700 million

Man United

£668 million

Bayern Munich

£664 million

FC Barcelona

£659.5 million

Arsenal

£621.5 million

Liverpool

£620 million

Tottenham Hotspur

£533 million

Chelsea

£474 million

However, Levy attracted criticism for a perceived lack of transfer spending compared to Spurs’ Premier League rivals, and this was undoubtedly a factor in them winning just two major trophies since 2001.

Thomas Frank could now be backed by the ENIC and the Lewis family as CEO Vinai Vinkatesham, who is set for a more hands-on role after Levy’s departure, aims to deliver more success.

Tottenham signed an array of star players during the last window under Levy, with Mohammed Kudus, Joao Palhinha, Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani chief among them.

The latter two are poised to make their Premier League debuts against West Ham in a crunch London derby clash this weekend, and according to ex-Levy employee Bryan King, ex-Chelsea midfielder Conor Gallagher could be a target to watch out for in this post-Levy era.

Tottenham tipped to sign Conor Gallagher in £45 million deal

They’ll have to wait until January, but King believes that Tottenham signing Gallagher from Atlético Madrid is a very realistic proposition.

As uncertainty continues to surround Yves Bissouma’s future, Gallagher could come as an excellent replacement for the Mali international who has fallen out of favour with Frank.

The England international can play as an attacking midfielder when required, known for his excellent ball-winning ability, energy and tenacity in the middle of the park, and would help to fill Tottenham’s ‘locally trained’ quota for European competitions.

The only caveat is whether Gallagher, given his Chelsea roots, would want to swap Diego Simeone’s side for an ex-rival.

If he decides that is worth the move back to London, Frank would undoubtedly be securing a real asset, and one who Moises Caicedo has called a “machine”.

As Liverpool prepare to hand Jurgen Klopp the perfect farewell on the pitch, with the Carabao Cup already secured and still alive in three more competitions, FSG have already taken significant steps towards landing the German's replacement.

Next Liverpool manager news

When Klopp announced that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season, citing a lack of energy as the reason behind the decision, he sent shockwaves around the Premier League. With the Reds top of the league and competing on all fronts, it was assumed that Klopp's tenure would continue until at least the end of his current contract, which was due to expire in 2025.

Liverpool's new Adam Lallana outshone Jayden Danns in the FA Cup

Klopp’s youngsters prevailed in tough circumstances once again to advance to the quarter-finals.

ByAngus Sinclair Feb 29, 2024

That proved not to be the case, however, and now Anfield must prepare itself for an emotional goodbye at the end of what could still be a historic season for Liverpool. The Merseyside club, having already won the Carabao Cup, are through to the FA Cup last eight after their youngsters did the job against Southampton, through to the Europa League last 16 and top of the Premier League. The fact is, the quadruple is still very much on.

The positive news has carried from the pitch to news over Klopp's replacement too. According to TeamTalk, FSG and Liverpool have offered Xabi Alonso a three-year deal to become the next Reds manager next season. The offer is, of course, yet to be accepted and Bayern Munich's interest could yet become an issue, but an offer is certainly a good start from all involved at Anfield.

With reports suggesting that FSG also want to bring back Michael Edwards to oversee their new era after Klopp, Liverpool are well-placed to kickstart their next chapter with a bang.

"Incredible" Alonso is the perfect choice

A man who already has the Anfield faithful onside due to his previous success as a Liverpool player, Alonso is the best option that the Reds can turn to after Klopp's departure. The Leverkusen boss has transformed his current side into potential invincibles after already breaking Bayern Munich's record unbeaten run in Germany to take Die Werkself as many as eight points clear at the top of the league.

What's more, Alonso has even received approval from Klopp, himself, who said via BBC Sport: "Xabi is doing an incredible job. How quick his team is that well tuned, for the time it's taken, he's put his proper stamp on it.

"The next generation is already there and I would say Xabi is a standout in that department. [He is a] former world-class player, from a coaching family as well, which helps a little, he was like a coach already when he was playing. The football he is playing, the teams he sets up, the transfers he did, it is absolutely exceptional."

With an offer reportedly on the table, the Spaniard certainly has an important decision to make amid a historic run towards silverware at Bayer Leverkusen.

Without a doubt, Liverpool have enjoyed an incredible summer transfer window, with FSG spending like never before to establish Arne Slot’s dynasty.

The Dutch coach replaced Jurgen Klopp and won the Premier League last season, and he did so having welcomed only Federico Chiesa to Anfield for a £12.5m fee. Well, Chiesa only started one league game all season and is expected to depart in the coming weeks.

However, the Italian’s not the only one facing the exit doors this summer.

Liverpool's transfer plans

As Liverpool kicked off their pre-season tour with a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan, they could not call upon Luis Diaz or Darwin Nunez, with the respective forwards set to be sold.

While Liverpool have already spent £79m on forward Hugo Ekitike this summer (breaking the British transfer record to reel Florian Wirtz over too), there’s more to come.

We all know that Alexander Isak is on Liverpool’s radar, having informed Newcastle United of his desire to explore a transfer to Anfield. He did not travel with the Toon for their pre-season tour.

However, talkSPORT have now revealed that Liverpool have ‘signalled their willingness’ to pay for the Sweden international, who has rejected the Magpies’ proposals of a new contract. That comes amid rival interest from Al Hilal, albeit with Saudi Arabian officials believing that he ‘wants to join Liverpool’.

If Liverpool want Isak, they will likely have to break the British record once again, forking out some £130m.

Why Liverpool still want Alexander Isak

This would be a truly remarkable transfer. And it’s beginning to look more and more probable.

Isak, 25, joined Newcastle from Real Sociedad for £63m in 2022, and he’s now renowned as one of the deadliest goalscorers in the world, hailed by Sweden coach Jon Dahl Tomasson for being “the most complete striker” in the Premier League.

While Liverpool’s acquisition of Ekitike might make it feel like this signing would be redundant, this isn’t the case. The respective forwards are both technically sound, but bring different things to the table and could actually become an unstoppable partnership.

Ekitike, 23, is principally a central striker but is known for his pace and power, capable across a range of positional roles. As per FBref, he ranked among the top 10% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last year for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, and the top 4% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90.

Utilising these attributes, Ekitike could bring out the best in Isak, allowing him to focus more on his incredible goalscoring. There’s no question that the United man surpasses his prospective teammate in ball-striking.

24/25

42 (41)

27

6

23/24

40 (36)

25

2

22/23

27 (18)

10

3

The £120k-per-week Sweden native, moreover, has the wealth of Premier League experience, which could prove vital for Ekitike’s development.

With both players in Slot’s system, the coach can manage workloads and utilise the respective strengths of both to the greater effect of his ambitious Liverpool team. The sum is greater than the individual parts, after all.

Given that both strikers are so dynamic, there’s no reason why they couldn’t cohabit at the front of the ship for Liverpool, especially if Nunez is sold in the coming weeks.

Bigger loss than Diaz or Nunez: Barcelona charge into race for £70k-p/w Liverpool star

The Reds could lose a key man.

ByTom Cunningham Jul 26, 2025