Liverpool know the importance of maintaining their Champions League position next season, and Arne Slott’s side will be boosted by Alexander Isak’s return to first-team training this week.
The former Newcastle talisman has suffered a setback since joining Anfield in a record-breaking £125m deal last summer, but he can bounce back. He is one of Europe’s star forwards and was hailed by Jamie Carragher in January 2025 as “the best striker in the Premier League at the moment”.
Isak’s return suggests Anfield will be buzzing again after Mohamed Salah left the club this summer, but Slott still needs to qualify for the Champions League.
The Reds have too much to offer defensively this season, and that could be the root cause of their failed bid. I need to organize this summer.
Why Liverpool need to sign a centre-back
Liverpool have already signed a centre-back this year. Jeremy Jacquet joins from Rennes in a £60m deal. The 20-year-old is poised to achieve big things and will challenge the injured Giovanni Leoni (19) for the starting berth next season.
It remains to be seen whether Ibrahima Konate will take part in that contest. Konate has yet to sign a new contract with the Reds and FSG believes a deal will be done, but time is definitely running out.
Perhaps that is why sporting director Richard Hughes is eyeing Juventus centre-half Grayson Bremer, with Italian outlet TuttoMercatoWeb revealing that Liverpool could sign the Brazilian defender this summer with a buyout clause of €54m (about £47m).
The grandmother values their precious possessions and does not want to sell them. However, Liverpool will need to act quickly as the release clause in his contract could mean things could get out of hand and Tottenham Hotspur are also interested.
However, the Reds are said to be “first and foremost” interested in him in 2024, although it remains to be seen whether they will act on their prior praise.
Liverpool could collapse for Bremer
Bremer is one of the most impressive defenders in Italian football. It was praised as such.monsterThe defender is described by analyst Ben Mattinson as big and bold on the ball and combative when chasing forwards through on goal with their names illuminated.
Since joining Juventus from city rivals Turin, he has made 115 appearances so far, with this season being the most capped, but has been plagued by injuries in recent years.
Bremer is 29 years old. In that respect, he is not aligned with the FSG structure in making future plans. However, there are exceptions to this rule.
Indeed, signing an older player like Bremer is not usually Liverpool’s style. FSG’s model focuses on nurturing up-and-coming talent and molds rough shapes into diamonds. People like Jacquet and Leoni are proof of that.
However, he cites the signing of Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich in 2020 for £25m as an example. The famous Spaniard Mastero arrived as a bona fide superstar, establishing himself at Barcelona and then the German giants. His passing and effortless intelligence in the middle of the park was something Liverpool had never seen before, and nothing they have seen since.
However, injuries plagued Red’s retired career and he struggled to cope with the intensity of the Premier League.
Thiago’s Premier League career with Liverpool | ||
|---|---|---|
season | app | minutes |
23/24 | 1 | 5 minutes |
22/23 | 18 | 1,256′ |
21/22 | twenty five | 1,537′ |
20/21 | twenty four | 1,858′ |
However, this was a first-class player and had a positive impact on the fluency and progression of Liverpool’s build-up structure. Bremer could enjoy a similar influence and could serve as a guideline for young defenders to follow.
CBS Sports commentator Matteo Bonetti described him as “world class” a few years ago, and Bremer’s presence is perhaps ideal for the slot backline as Liverpool look to bring the next wave of up-and-coming talent to the forefront – especially if Konate leaves this summer.
In soccer, sometimes it helps to be realistic. FSG is a great realist.
Bremer’s arrival could be a boon for an Anfield squad that is in transition. His experience and quality are reminiscent of when Thiago signed from Bayern, and if things go well on the injury front, he could establish himself as a mainstay for the next few years.
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