Liverpool have one of the finest frontlines in all the lands, and this is nothing new. That said, Arne Slot has added his flavour to Jurgen Klopp’s creation and made it his own.
Mohamed Salah is thriving, of course, with seven goals and seven assists across 12 fixtures in 2024/25. Sign the contract, please, love from Liverpool fans.
Meanwhile, Cody Gakpo is thriving in a more nailed-down left-flanking role, making an impact whenever he plays. Of course, the Dutchman has to jockey for a starting berth with Luis Diaz, who has been immense in his own right, but this only speaks of the depth.
Diogo Jota hasn’t quite found his feet but it’s a measure of the 27-year-old’s potency that he’s still recorded six goal contributions across nine starts. Darwin Nunez recently bagged against RB Leipzig in the Champions League but is still lacking the red-hot scoring form that fans hope for.
Mohamed Salah
12 (11)
7
7
Luis Diaz
11 (7)
5
1
Diogo Jota
10 (9)
4
2
Cody Gakpo
12 (5)
2
2
Darwin Nunez
9 (4)
2
1
Federico Chiesa
3 (1)
0
1
All told, it’s a formidable strike force (we haven’t even discussed Federico Chiesa), but FSG may yet seek more reinforcements in 2025.
Liverpool leading race for marquee signing
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool and Arsenal are leading the race to sign Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has been quite the sensation in Serie A over the past several years.
It’s understood that the English giants could go head-to-head in the battle for the Georgia international in 2025, even though he’s contracted in Naples until 2027.
Because of that, Kvaratskhelia won’t come cheap. A host of European superpowers are interested in snapping the 23-year-old up, but with negotiations ongoing, it would take a whopping bid of £100m to convince Napoli to part with their biggest prize.
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Why Liverpool are interested in Kvaratskhelia
Kvaratskhelia is principally found up and down the left flank, which draws an immediate problem as to why Liverpool might not place an extortionate amount of money on acquiring his signature.
However, according to Spanish sources, both Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain have retained their interest in Diaz, with the Colombian star understood to be valued at around €75m (£62m). Should he depart next year, this would surely be the move for the Reds to make.
Hailed as a “phenomenon” by Italian football pundit Mina Rzouki, the dynamic forward ranks among the top 4% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shots taken, the top 9% for progressive carries and the top 8% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref, showing the electric skillset that Liverpool would get their mitts on.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
He was instrumental in Napoli’s Scudetto-winning season of 2022/23, named the Serie A Player of the Season after posting 14 goals and 17 assists across all competitions.
Hailed for his “magic” by transfer guru Fabrizio Romano, Kvaratskhelia is only on a £25k-per-week contract so it’s understandable that Napoli hope to convince him to stay by offering a bumper new package.
Liverpool have a greater financial capacity, however, and boast one of the most exciting projects across the continent. The Georgian superstar would progress his career to the next level by moving to Anfield, excelling and bringing the best out of those around him.
He might even be the missing piece in Nunez’s puzzle, with his arrival on Merseyside finally bringing the full scale of the Uruguayan’s quality to the fore.
Imagine Nunez & Kvaratskhelia
Nunez might not have hit free-scoring form under Slot’s wing, but he’s certainly stepped up in recent weeks, introduced off the bench against Chelsea in the Premier League last weekend following an injury to Jota and proving to be a thorn in the Blues’ side.
Since given a starting berth at the spearhead against Leipzig, the 25-year-old doubled his tally for the term with a close-ranged effort following nice work from Salah, but his performance provided so much more than just that contribution.
Awarded a match-best rating of 8/10 by The Liverpool Echo’s Ian Doyle, it’s clear he’s starting to make headway. Doyle wrote: ‘Always a willing runner and was keen to hold it up at times as well. Took his goal like a real poacher and came so close to a second. Should have won a penalty too. Lead the line superbly in the absence of Jota.’
Nunez is starting to improve, with his movement and game intelligence speaking of a prosperous future at Liverpool, should he keep his head down and continue to work hard. Kvaratskhelia could be the missing ingredient.
The Georgian’s pace and wizard-like ability on the ball could create so many problems for Liverpool’s adversaries, almost like a turbo-charged Diaz – to another level.
The Reds’ transfer target has scored four goals from eight league appearances this term, but he’s also averaged 1.8 key passes, 1.4 dribbles and tackles and 4.8 successful duels per game, as per Sofascore, speaking of a natural-born athleticism and application that would add to the controlled system that Slot has implemented.
He’s also a sharp distributor across average phases of play, completing 80% of his top-flight passes in 2024/25. With such a protean attacking quality, Liverpool could truly become a force to be reckoned with up front, with the respective forwards’ interchangeability and incisiveness opening up windows of opportunity to keep opponents guessing.
If Salah renews his contract, and acts as architect, then it could be a dangerous thing indeed. With Arsenal also sniffing around, Liverpool might want to pounce sooner rather than later, lest they let a once-in-a-decade chance pass them by.
100% duels, 95% pass rate: Liverpool star is outshining Gravenberch & Salah
Liverpool defeated RB Leipzig to extend their perfect start in the Champions League.
ByAngus Sinclair Oct 24, 2024
