Liverpool without Champions League football in the 2023/24 season; the first campaign in which the Reds will have a capacity of more than 61,000 spectators after the expansion of the Anfield Road End.
It would be a great shame, to say the least, if 7,000 more fans missed out on seeing Jurgen Klopp’s men walking in a competition where they have enjoyed a considerable degree of success in recent years.
However, as things currently stand, it looks like that frightening eventuality will come true in the summer if we don’t manage to get any additional business done in the January window beyond the addition of Cody Gakpo.
Although the Dutch international is certainly an exciting talent, he simply cannot be expected to carry the weight of Liverpool’s European hopes.
In short: a new midfielder is needed before the end of the January window, something that seems unlikely at the moment.
James Pearce makes LFC midfield transfer claim as Jude Bellingham update provided
The chances are high that things will change quickly, of course; there are options Liverpool could pursue and for a much lower asking price than they can expect to have to meet for the likes of Jude Bellingham or Enzo Fernandez.
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Although reportedly a slated summer signing, we’ve reportedly already secured the addition of long-term target Matheus Nunes for £44m.
January is a notoriously difficult time when it comes to landing quality signings within the £30-40m price range, but it is possible.
We were told on several occasions that Sofyan Amrabat, valued at €40m (£35.1m), according to Santi Aouna, would be feasible in the current window. If that’s the case and we still rate the Moroccan international after his phenomenal World Cup performance, why don’t we move to secure a player who will give us midfield dynamism AND the opportunity to rotate Fabinho ?
Do you suggest a longer game that Liverpool are playing?
How Liverpool could salvage a season by finishing outside the top four
The most obvious answer to how Liverpool could salvage a season out of the advertised top four is to win the Champions League.
However, with the Reds set to face a quality Real Madrid side in the midst of injury and an identity crisis, we may well have to steel ourselves against the growing probability of a knockout in the competition. .
In that case, winning the FA Cup simply won’t cut it, which brings us to the summer transfer window.
Theoretically, spending a season outside of Champions League football would not necessarily be disastrous for Liverpool, although we wouldn’t like to see this become a regular feature as it was before Klopp’s reign.
It had been suggested before, rather surprisingly, that playing in Europe’s premier competition may not be seen as a must for us to get the main midfield target Jude Bellingham (according to Christian Falk, who spoke to the Anfield Wrap (via Rousing the Kop)), a I hope many fans will hold on if we fail to reach our minimum goal this term.
Without the financial benefits of Champions League football, however, the question is worth asking how Liverpool will be able to afford a asking price set in the region of £130m.
For the sake of discussion, let’s assume that we’ll have the necessary funds anyway, and that the midfielder is willing to overlook the reality of playing in the Europa League (or, heaven forbid, the dreaded Europa Conference League).
We most likely won’t have that extra £44m to land Matheus Nunes from Wolves, although adding Borussia Dortmund’s most prized asset to the ranks would certainly be the only way the club could come close to making up for such a 2022. disastrous. /23.
However, with as many as three midfielders potentially leaving in the summer (not counting loanee Arthur Melo), it remains the height of negligence to prepare for the next challenge with just one addition to our most struggling department.
AT LEAST two new midfielders are due to be signed over the course of the next two windows and we’re not quite sure how Liverpool will handle it without Champions League football or a change of ownership.
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