Liverpool have lost their way this season, but perhaps not as badly as those dark days under Brendan Rodgers?
There are similarities between Arne Slott’s second season and the post-apocalyptic 2014/15 season, which saw Liverpool disastrously miss out on the title.
Luis Suarez accelerated that momentum and Mohamed Salah’s incredibly strong effort last year led the Reds to their first title since Jurgen Klopp ended his spell at Anfield.
Brendan Rodgers vs Liverpool’s Arne Slott | ||
|---|---|---|
Rogers (14/15) | # | Slot (25/26) |
38 | match | 36 |
18 | victory | 17 |
8 | draw | 8 |
12 | loss | 11 |
52 | Number of points scored | 60 |
48 | Number of goals conceded | 48 |
62 (1.63) | Points (PPM) | 59 (1.64) |
The difference, of course, is that Slott has led the team all along, lifted the Premier League and established himself as one of the best managers in the world.
However, as before, a lot has gone wrong this season and Liverpool will have to spend big for a second successive summer.
Liverpool officially move towards signing new winger
Liverpool need to replace Salah on the right wing, but it won’t be easy. The Egyptian is a shell of his former domineering self and RB Leipzig’s Yann Diomande is considered the perfect man to replace him, albeit at around £85m, despite having only one foot in the majors.
But Liverpool need more than just a right-sided forward. Kodi Gakpo has been deceiving all season with flattery and 17-year-old Rio Ngmoha is yet to be trusted with playing time to match the best at Anfield.
According to Fussball Daten, Liverpool are interested in signing Bazmana Toure from Hoffenheim this summer and have begun negotiations after registering a ‘formal interest’.
The Ivorian international, just 20 years old, is worth €55m (about £48m) and there is little to suggest he cannot match or surpass Diomande as the Bundesliga’s brightest emerging talent.
With such speed and rapid growth on the left, it’s anyone’s guess whether he could become Liverpool’s new version of Luis Diaz in the slot.
Why Bazmana Toure could be Liverpool’s next Dias
Liverpool have quality in attack, but Florian Wirtz is still adapting to the Premier League, Alexander Isak is yet to maintain his clinical form and Hugo Ekitike is out for an extended period after tearing his Achilles tendon against PSG.
If Slott hopes to prove his doubts wrong and bounce back (unlike Rodgers), he needs more impetus up front, and Toure, hailed by journalist Bence Boksak as “one of the most exciting young wingers in European football”, could provide the Reds with that quality.
The rising star’s speed and strength in the left channel has forced Liverpool to take an interest, and with both Arsenal and Bayern Munich chasing him, they need to do something soon.
Liverpool sold Dias to Bayern for £65.5m last summer. Although there were good reasons behind that decision, FSG are unable to replace the Colombian on the left and Toure could be the perfect addition to challenge Gakpo and Ngmoha.
He has played in 29 Bundesliga games this season, scoring five goals and providing nine assists. Physically, Toure ticks a lot of boxes, winning five duels per match.
With this unique skill set, the young winger has even been described as a ‘young Sadio Mane’ by the aforementioned boxer, and it’s easy to see why Liverpool have such a vested interest in him.
It remains to be seen whether Toure will fulfill his potential on Merseyside and reach the heights of Dias and Mane, but he is an elite candidate who could develop into one of the Premier League’s standout stars.
The Ivorian winger has shown his incredible potential on numerous occasions this season, and with his natural creativity, sharp dribbling and dueling combativeness, he could be just the perfect addition to a Liverpool squad in need of wide-ranging reinforcements this summer.
Best left winger since Mane at Anfield: £75m star wants move to Liverpool
Liverpool are expected to sign a number of attackers in the summer transfer window.
