Liverpool are reportedly set to put a handful of players in the showcase ahead of the January transfer window opening, including midfield duo Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita.
This claim comes courtesy of Calciomercato with the Reds, no doubt more than aware of the fact that both options’ contracts expire in 2023.
The Merseysiders will undoubtedly need to make some sales to fund a big move for a top midfield target, including Borussia Dortmund’s teenage prodigy Jude Bellingham.
Before getting into the thick of the transfer races and all, the upcoming World Cup will provide a welcome break for many (particularly the Anfield-based team’s medical department).
Here you can prepare your World Cup and immerse yourself in the spirit of international football with all your advance predictions. Could, for example, Darwin Núñez be a dark horse for the golden boot?
It is unclear to what extent the funds raised will determine a signing of such magnitude given that the Reds failed to land a quality midfielder in the previous summer window.
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It’s also worth considering that if all three James Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita are allowed to part with us in 2023, we’ll lose three midfielders (albeit two injury-prone squad members).
Given our struggles in this department throughout the 2022/23 campaign thus far, it would be unwise not to secure AT LEAST two additions to round out the team.
Dortmund are said to value their top talent at €150m as things currently stand, although a positive World Cup campaign could push that price up considerably.
The question remains whether the club could afford an additional transfer in midfield if we are shelling out such an amount of money for the England international.
Admittedly, we may be inclined to throw such considerations out the window in light of the caliber of talent discussed.
However, we can hardly afford to spend another season with a threadbare midfield containing 29-year-old Fabinho and Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara in their 30s.
Serious investment is needed in the summer window at the latest, but serious thought must be given to our financial capabilities and what the successful signing of Bellingham could mean for our market maneuverability beyond that point.
It’s a tough balancing act and there’s sure to be a pretty sizable backlash from the online fanbase if we don’t manage to land the 19-year-old in 2023 after losing him in 2022.
We are confident that Julian Ward and his recruiting team will make the right decision, of course, and have a list of possible alternatives that would still allow us to move forward as a club and compete with our more financially well-endowed rivals domestically and internationally.
#Ep63 of the Podcast The Empire of the Kop: Klopp’s ridiculous accusations of xenophobia, Núñez shining… and more!
