Today, June 10, marks the official opening of the 2022 summer transfer window, and over the next two months, we at Man’s Life will be releasing a series of articles looking at three players each major club should sign in the off-season. The first club we will be focusing on during the summer transfer window is last season’s Premier League and Champions League runners-up, Liverpool.
Liverpool have been linked with a whole host of names since their UCL and PL disappointments, and with the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah potentially on their way out over the next 12 months, we look at three players Jurgen Klopp’s side can sign this summer.
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With Sadio Mane expected to leave in this window, and only 12 months remaining on Mohamed Salah’s contract, Liverpool have to reinvigorate their frontline this summer. Luis Diaz has already been signed in January to take Mane’s place on the left wing, but Liverpool also need someone who can primarily play on the right, and the perfect target for that role is Bayern Munich winger Serge Gnabry.
The German star has reportedly reached an impasse with the Bavarian giants over a contract extension and could leave the Bundesliga champions this window with only 12 months left on his contract. Considering the potential cut-price nature of this deal, Liverpool should pounce on this opportunity. Gnabry is one of the most clinical two-footed forwards in Europe, who can play anywhere across the front three. The former Arsenal star has managed double figures in scoring in every season at Bayern Munich and could replace Mohamed Salah as the primary talisman in the attack.
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Another forward who Liverpool have been heavily linked with this summer has been AS Benfica striker Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan enjoyed a breakout season in 2021/22 for the Portuguese club, scoring 34 goals in 41 games in all competitions. The 22-year-old has already rumoured to have agreed on personal terms with the Champions League finalists, and his arrival would completely change the dynamics of Liverpool’s frontline. Although Nunez is most effective through the middle, the forward can play anywhere across the front three due to his two-footed nature. The forward is also a lethal finisher with incredibly quick feet for someone of his size, and is also more likely to settle in seamlessly into the Premier League due to his freakish physicality.
However, while Nunez would be an unbelievable coup for the Reds, they would need to break their club-record fee to secure his services in this transfer window. Nunez has attracted plenty of interest from other Premier League clubs such as Manchester United and Chelsea, and Benfica are reportedly looking for a transfer fee totalling €100 million (including add-ons) for their talisman.
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With Thiago Alcantara and Naby Keita unable to stay fit across an entire season and James Milner and Jordan Henderson both on the wrong side of 30, Liverpool must freshen up their midfield this summer.
The Reds need to add reinforcements in this area to extend their title window for a more few seasons, and the ideal signing would be a young, athletic midfielder who can play as a number six and a number eight. Monaco’s Aurelien Tchouameni would have been the perfect candidate to revitalize Liverpool’s ageing midfield, but with the Frenchman seemingly on his way to Real Madrid, the Reds have to look elsewhere.
The other player they could look at for this position is the Borussia Dortmund teenage sensation, Jude Bellingham. Although the German club have no reason to sell their crown jewel after already letting go of Erling Haaland, Liverpool should do everything to try and tempt the Englishman to return home this summer. Bellingham has all the tools a player would need to thrive in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield, combining elite technical ability with an incredible physical profile as well as a unique understanding of the game for someone his age.
Unlike Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United, Liverpool have been unwilling to spend huge amounts on transfers over the past few seasons. However, if the Reds want to maintain their incredible level of performance and add to their trophy cabinet under Jurgen Klopp, they might need to add a few star signings this summer to keep up with their competitors.
[Featured Image Credit: Darwin Nunez]
Shivaan Shah