Liverpool typically sought to strengthen with untapped potential when under the wing of Jurgen Klopp. But Klopp has left his long-held manager’s post last year, and things feel different at Anfield.
That’s not to discredit the German’s dynasty, taking the reins on Merseyside when the Reds were a pale shadow, reduced to a colourless, rudderless state. Klopp made Liverpool whole again, winning a fair amount of silverware along the way.
However, FSG have undergone a refurb and are now looking to strengthen Arne Slot’s Premier League-winning squad with some of the finest that Europe has to offer.
One of those targets is Florian Wirtz, 22, whose playmaking quality knows no bounds. Bayer Leverkusen’s talisman will fetch a considerable figure this summer, but Liverpool are very much intent on staying in the race.
Why Liverpool want Florian Wirtz
At the start of the season, former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes claimed Wirtz is “probably the best midfielder in the world,” with his vision, awareness, and magic touch proving invaluable for Xabi Alonso’s side over the past few years.
He might not have hit the same stratospheric heights of last year, but Wirtz has retained his world-class level across the 2024/25 campaign, outperforming Liverpool’s positionally similar players.
With Trent Alexander-Arnold joining Real Madrid when his contract expires, Liverpool are going to need to find a new way to maintain their matchless creative flair in the Premier League.
As you can see below, no English team has created more than Liverpool across the past five campaigns. Trent played a defining role in achieving this.
24/25*
Liverpool
105
23/24
Liverpool
102
22/23
Liverpool/Man City
103
21/22
Liverpool
97
20/21
Liverpool
82
Liverpool want to reinforce their successful season by bringing in new signings, and Slot’s aiming for the best. Though it would require another significant outlay, the Reds are also planning to move for a new name at number nine.
With Darwin Nunez set to be sold, this is one to start getting excited about.
Liverpool make contact to sign prolific striker
Liverpool desperately need a more reliable marksman. Nunez is consistently inconsistent, while Diogo Jota’s long injury issues have finally seeped into his game this year.
FSG are ready to move incisively. According to Caught Offside, Liverpool have opened contacts with Sporting Lisbon regarding the potential transfer of Viktor Gyokeres, though Arsenal are favourites in the race.
It’s felt the Gunners are closing on a £9m-a-year agreement with the Sweden striker, but that Liverpool – and Manchester United – have shown strong interest and are ready to pounce on any opportunity, should Mikel Arteta’s side fumble.
Gyokeres has been one of the most prolific players in Europe over the past several years, and Sporting are looking to fetch £60m for his sale.
Why Viktor Gyokeres could be a great signing for Liverpool
When Sporting signed Gyokeres from Coventry City for £20m after a failed promotion push to the Premier League, it was felt that English football had lost an interesting attacking profile capable of playing at the top level.
Two years later, the 25-year-old may return to English soil as “one of the best strikers in Europe,” as he has been described by Fabrizio Romano.
Across 100 matches for Os Leões, the one-time Brighton prospect has scored 95 goals and laid on 28 assists. Powerful and athletic, he’s surely tailor-made for a role at one of the Premier League’s top competitors.
The £62k-per-week star has bagged 52 goals from 50 matches in all competitions this season alone, meaning he’s significantly outscoring Newcastle United’s Alexander Isak.
Isak is an incredible goalscorer and very much on Liverpool’s shopping list, but with a £150m price tag, it’s hrd to argue that he, with 27 goals from 41 games in 2024/25, would be the more prudent signing at an outlay some £90m more than Gyokeres. Liverpool have work to do across a number of positions, after all.
Only a few weeks ago, Gyokeres netted four goals in a single game for the Liga Portugal champions, who are level in first place with Benfica, superior goal difference owing largely to the centre-forward’s clinical shooting.
Given that he’s scored 57 league goals across his two terms in the Iberian division, Gyokeres has proven himself capable of leading the line at Liverpool, for sure. And when you consider he’s missed only 34 big chances in that timeframe, as per Sofascore, the argument only strengthens.
As per FBref, Gyokeres ranks among the top 1% of forwards this season in divisions similar to the Portuguese top flight for goals scored, shot-creating actions and progressive carries, the top 3% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for assists per 90. Not bad at all.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Now think of all this, think of how efficient and deadly and “insane” all this is, as the 6 foot 2 striker has been praised by analyst Ben Mattinson.
Now imagine all that with Wirtz in behind him.
The fusion of skill sets could take a Premier League-winning Liverpool team to a whole ‘nother level entirely. Indeed, with Wirtz’s remarkable supply line finding Gyokeres, whose movements and intelligence get him in perfect positions from which he can let his predatory instinct take over, would allow Slot to challenge for the biggest trophies once again.
There was a decided lack of impetus across tournamental fronts this season: in the FA Cup, a rotated Liverpool fell to Plymouth Argyle, who have just been relegated from the Championship; after a dominant Champions League group phase, PSG got the better over two legs in the last 16; Liverpool did reach the Carabao Cup final, but were turned over by Newcastle.
In the Bundesliga this season, Wirtz might not have succeeded in defending Leverkusen’s title, but he has given a stellar account of himself once again. As per Sofascore, he’s hit 22 goal contributions from only 24 starts, creating 17 big chances and averaging 2.7 dribbles and 5.3 successful duels per game.
Last season’s Bundesliga Player of the Year knows his stuff, all right, and still so young in his career, he’s got the world at his feet.
The prolific performances of Gyokeres alongside Wirtz’s creative mind would surely spark the kind of success Slot is searching for next season, allowing Liverpool to take their fantastic campaign and shape it into a period of sustained, trophy-winning success.
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1 ByAngus Sinclair May 15, 2025