Despite spending big in the summer, Liverpool are now reportedly considering a “mystery” deal to sign an attacking target ahead of Tottenham Hotspur, led by new co-sporting director Fabio Paratici.
What's going wrong at Liverpool?
In one summer, Liverpool signed one of the best strikers in the world, one of the best midfielders in the world, arguably the best left-back in the Premier League last season and a Bayer Leverkusen invincible. The champions swept up in ruthless fashion, breaking their transfer record twice in the process, and looked destined to dominate.
The prophecy hasn’t quite been fulfilled, however. Just eight games in and Arne Slot finds himself in the most difficult period of his Liverpool career with the pressure increasing to turn around a dire run of form. After spending to improve even further, the Reds look a shadow of the Premier League champions that they became last season.
So what’s going wrong at Anfield? The summer was supposed to set them up for a title defence, but it set them up for a system change and an incredibly tough teething period.
Isak, forced to regain sharpness after striking until he got his Newcastle United exit, is yet to get a Premier League goal. Wirtz is struggling for domestic starts, Frimpong has never been Slot’s first choice and Milos Kerkez is being asked to play an inverted role that simply matches his weakness rather than his several strengths going forward.
Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah has scored just one goal from open play in the league and has been uncharacteristically poor in possession. Simply put, all the trademarks of Liverpool’s success in Slot’s debut season have disappeared from the Reds’ performances.
No longer stubborn, no longer in control of games and more open than ever under Slot, those at Anfield have already turned their focus towards the January transfer window.
Liverpool now considering January move for Semenyo
As reported by Mark Douglas of the i Paper, Liverpool are now considering a move to sign Antoine Semenyo in January by triggering his “mystery” release clause. Sporting director Richard Hughes is a big admirer of the winger and is seemingly looking to fend off competition from Tottenham Hotspur for his signature, who are hoping to make him their first big arrival under new co-sporting directors Paratici and Johan Lange.
Alas, the deal won’t come cheap. Reports are claiming that Bournemouth value Semenyo at as much as £75m ahead of the winter window, although it is anyone’s guess what number is actually in his release clause, a clause that may well have been drawn up by none other than former Cherries chief Hughes.
Minutes
720
713
Goals
6
2
Assists
3
2
Key Passes
10
15
It should come as no surprise that Semenyo is the name on the Reds’ radar amid Salah’s current struggles. The Egyptian will also leave to take part in AFCON at the end of December, whilst the Bournemouth winger will stay put after Gana failed to qualify. If there was ever an ideal time to welcome him into the side, it is in Salah’s absence.
Dubbed “unique” by former Liverpool player Jamie Redknapp, Semenyo remains one to watch as he continues to take the Premier League by storm.
