Raheem Sterling finally completed his £49 million move to Manchester City on Tuesday, bringing to a close a transfer saga that has dominated Liverpool’s offseason so far.
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However, with the troubled forward having departed, and with a considerable influx of money into the Anfield coffers, the Reds are in a position to splash the cash once again.
Brendan Rodgers has already been active in the transfer market, bringing the likes of Roberto Firmino and James Milner to Liverpool, but having offloaded Sterling, he will surely now look to reinforce his offensive options over the coming months.
In this feature, we profile five players who Rodgers may well look to bring to Anfield to replace the departed 20-year-old.
Theo Walcott
The prospect of Sterling moving to Arsenal in a potential swap deal for Theo Walcott has been mooted, but ultimately, the youngster opted not to hold out to a return to London.
Walcott missed much of last season with injury and was a peripheral figure as the Gunners picked up momentum.
It remains to be seen whether he still has a role in Arsenal’s first-team plans, and could still seek a fresh start at Liverpool, even if a swap-deal for Sterling is no longer on the cards.
Mauro Icardi
The Argentine attacker would not be a direct replacement for Sterling, but could provide the explosiveness and creativity to the forward line that would be lost with the England star’s departure.
Icardi recently signed a new contract with Inter Milan, but his class means that Rodgers should seriously consider spending big in order to bring the 22-year-old to Anfield.
Antoine Griezmann
The French forward finished the Liga BBVA season as the third-best goal-scorer in the Spanish top flight, behind only Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
His class has found an admirer in Jose Mourinho, with the Portuguese coach understood to be keen to bring the 24-year-old Griezmann to Chelsea.
Liverpool should also look to press Atletico Madrid for the attacker, who scored 25 goals in 54 outings last term.
Marco Reus
Not only would the Borussia Dortmund man be an excellent addition for the Reds, he would surely be an upgrade on Sterling, at least in the short term.
Liverpool are considering a £46 million move for Reus, who managed 11 goals in 29 outings for BVB last term.
While the player is a class act, it remains to be seen whether he has overcome the injury concerns that have affected the last few years of his career.
Alex Lacazette
Sterling only contributed seven goals and seven assists in the Premier League last season, stats that pale in comparison to the stats recorded by Olympique Lyonnais’ Alex Lacazette.
The forward was one of the stars of Ligue 1 last term, managing 27 league goals. Lacazette has been linked with a move to the Premier League, and with his future at OL uncertain, could be a realistic target for the Northern Irish coach.