Five new players to keep Liverpool competitive.
Liverpool certainly performed beyond all expectation in the 2013/14 season, rising from seventh place to second in the space of a year and coming so close to claiming their first league title since 1990.
It is widely believed that the club may have over-achieved, and that with the extra demands of Champions League football next season, as well as with their rivals all expected to strengthen significantly in the transfer market, that Brendan Rodgers’ side may have in fact missed perhaps their best chance in a long time to become champions of England again.
Still, the boost of Champions League money should provide the Reds with the ammunition to bring in some big names to help them keep up with the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea again. Rickie Lambert has already been signed from Southampton, and young midfielder Emre Can from Bayer Leverkusen looks like another good purchase. CaughtOffside now examines five more realistic transfer targets that could address the issues in Liverpool’s squad and make them even better equipped to challenge for honours next season.
5. Alberto Moreno (Sevilla)
One of the most promising young defenders in Europe, Sevilla left-back Alberto Moreno has had a superb season in La Liga this year, attracting interest from numerous top clubs around the continent. It is thought that Liverpool may now be the favourites to sign him ahead of the likes of Manchester United and Real Madrid, which would certainly be a real statement of intent for the Reds as they look to address what has been something of a problem position for their side in recent times. With Aly Cissokho failing to impress in a loan spell from Valencia in 2013/14, youngster Jon Flanagan did his best playing out of position on the left-hand side, but there’s no doubt that a player of Moreno’s calibre would be a significant upgrade.
4. Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon)
Another useful defensive signing for Liverpool’s unreliable backline could be Sporting Lisbon’s versatile Argentine Marcos Rojo. The 24-year-old has also been linked with Arsenal, but could be ideal for Brendan Rodgers as he looks to add depth at both centre-back and left-back. Rojo has certainly proven himself to be a top talent, and looks ready to test himself on the bigger stage of the Premier League. Although Reds fans will no doubt be crying out for bigger names, Rojo may well be one of the best bargain deals currently available on the transfer market.
3. Dejan Lovren (Southampton)
In what could end up being a sensational triple raid on Southampton, Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move for Croatian defender Dejan Lovren, who enjoyed a superb first season in English football this year. The former Lyon man showed great strength and intelligence at the back, as well as scoring some important goals (including a winner against Liverpool at Anfield) and it is no surprise to now see him attracting interest from bigger clubs. With the likes of Daniel Agger, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Kolo Toure all proving inconsistent and unreliable at the back for much of the 2013/14 campaign, Lovren could be part of the solution to help Rodgers’ side tighten up at the back, leaving them less reliant on their admittedly excellent attacking players. For a fee believed to be in the region of £8m, Lovren would be another great piece of business by the Premier League runners-up.
2. Adam Lallana (Southampton)
One of the best up-and-coming talents in the Premier League, Southampton midfielder Adam Lallana looks certain to leave the club this summer for a move to a big club. The 26-year-old has already worked his way into Roy Hodgson’s England squad for this summer’s World Cup, and it is now thought that Liverpool are making him one of their top targets to improve their already impressive attacking options. The versatile Saints flyer can operate on either flank or in a central midfield role and looks to have the technical ability and intelligence to slot in perfectly into Liverpool’s expansive style of play. Lallana would certainly be one of Liverpool’s more expensive transfer targets for this summer, with reports claiming he could cost between £25-30m.
1. Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad)
A slightly ambitious target perhaps, but Liverpool have also been linked with going head-to-head with Europe’s big boys for Real Sociedad winger Antoine Griezmann. The young Frenchman has just had a superb season for his club, scoring 20 goals from the flank to put himself up there with big names such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Diego Costa, and Karim Benzema as one of the leading goalscorers in La Liga. Unsurprisingly, the likes of Arsenal, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are believed to be chasing the 23-year-old, who will likely command a big-money transfer fee, but Liverpool also appear to be in contention and could seal one of the signings of the summer if they manage to bring him to Anfield. With loan signing Victor Moses failing to impress this season, and Oussama Assaidi likely to leave, a quality new addition out wide is a must for Liverpool to ensure they don’t put too much pressure on the young shoulders of Raheem Sterling, and Griezmann is a player who really could help take them to the next level.