Breel Embolo
Club: Basle Age: 19 Nationality: Swiss Estimated Price: £18million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHuXBQTnSWY
Possibly the most talented player every to come through the Basle academy, Breel Embolo is one of the most sought after young players in the world. He’s been linked to a whole heap of clubs including, most recently, Manchester United who are said to be keen to pair him with Anthony Martial in a young attack that would terrorise Premier League defences for years to come. Embolo is naturally a striker and has similarities in his game to Samuel Eto’o, but last season he made the move to a wide role and by season’s end he was performing very well there.
United are alleged to be quite close to signing him so if Liverpool do hold an interest in him they can’t act like Liverpool. They’d have to move quickly and decisively to get him signed. He’s the type of signing that would really excite people once they see him play a run of games.
Timo Werner
Club: Stuttgart Age: 20 Nationality: German Estimated Price: £8million
Werner isn’t all that well-known by non-Bundesliga watchers but he’s a very talented player with a lot of room for development. He’s a natural wide player who spent last season being transitioned into a more central role that he seemed to struggle with. It would be a pretty easy move to switch him back to a wide role. He’ll bring goals, he’ll bring pace and he’ll bring big time potential, and he shouldn’t cost a fortune given Stuttgart have been relegated from the Bundesliga.
He’s not ready to be a starter for a club like Liverpool just yet but he can certainly develop into one, getting him now would be a wise move.
Domenico Berardi
Club: Sassualo Age: 21 Nationality: Italian Estimated Price: £20million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9AdsdKIO9U
“NO MORE ITALIANS!” is what people shout whenever someone suggests Liverpool should sign one, but Berardi is absolutely worthy of consideration. A tall pacey goalscorer who thrives cutting in from wide positions, he’s the most talented attacker Italy have produced in a while. In his first two seasons in Serie A he scored 31 goals in 61 games, an excellent return in what is still a league where defending comes first.
He has a bit of a temper and there’s something unusual about his personality, which has led to Antonio Conte leaving him out of the national team set-up, but his talent, his work rate and his natural ability to score goals make him an ideal candidate to fill one of Liverpool’s problem positions.
Julian Draxler
Club: Wolfsburg Age: 22 Nationality: German Estimated Price: £30million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMzcacx5WfI
A player who has been linked with moves to the Premier League for a number of years, Draxler seemed to have stalled badly in his progression during his final two years at Schalke. Injuries hampered him badly and his goalscoring suffered, but following a move to Wolfsburg last summer he seems to have rediscovered much of the form that made him one of the most sought-after young players in Europe for a couple of years. Now 22 he seems ready to take the step up to a top club and there’s no question he has the ability to play for almost any team in Europe. Stylistically he’s similar to a young Gerrard with a similar frame, running style and ability to shoot from distance with both feet.
He was linked with Dortmund when Klopp was there and the chance to play under a German manager, in a team that includes Emre Can who’s he known for years in the German set-up, might be very tempting. He’d cost a lot but he’s got the potential to become a truly world-class player.
Marlos Moreno
Club: Atletico National Age: 19 Nationality: Colombian Estimated Price: £5million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onBSd7BxWBU
Two weeks ago he’d probably have been the least well-known player on this list, and he may well still be, but now he’s come into a bigger spotlight after scoring for Colombia at the Copa America. He’s more naturally a wide player in a 4-3-3 than Klopp’s preferred 4-2-3-1 but he definitely has the talent to make the adjustment and become a big time player. Liverpool have been linked to him over the last month or two and with Klopp at the Copa America, maybe he’ll keep an eye on him. He’s got good pace, quick feet and the ability to score and create.
Signing Moreno wouldn’t hamper deals for another player in the wide area because the likely fee for him would be around £5million, maybe less.
Gabriel Jesus
Club: Palmeiras Age: 19 Nationality: Brazilian Estimated Price: £15million
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gqemskft0ag
Pace? Check.
Goals? Check.
Outrageous ability? Check.
Gabriel Jesus may not be a name everyone knows right now, but he soon will be. The latest product from the Palmeiras academy might just be the best. While’s he’s been overshadowed globally in terms of hype by the other Gabriel, Gabriel Barbosa aka Gabigol, regularly watchers of Campeonato Brasileiro will tell you that this kid is just as good and just as talented, if not more so. If Dembele was Klopp’s top summer target, then Gabriel Jesus is the perfect alternative as he brings a similar style of play, a similar level of talent and a similar level of potential. He’s been called the “New Neymar” and while he’s a slightly different type of player, there are similarities.
He’s going to be on the target list of a lot of clubs, and if Liverpool want to secure his services they’ll have to move quickly to do so. Having Coutinho and Firmino already at the club could play a big part in securing the talents of one of the very best young players in the world.
If I had to give an order of preference for this I’d actually like to see Liverpool sign two of them. One from a group of Draxler, Jesus and Berardi plus either Moreno or Werner. I really want Liverpool to sign Embolo as well, but to play as a striker as I think he’ll develop better where he’s most comfortable. I’d genuinely be happy with any player on this list bar Musa who’d be content with as long as we signed quality in other areas. In fact, pretty much any combination of two that would come to less than the Mane price would represent excellent business.
There’s plenty of options out there for Klopp and Liverpool to fill the wide role this summer, hopefully they get one and hopefully it’s the right one.
DEFENDERS!!!!
I’ll do one for centrebacks in the next week or two mate.
Love the format and the analysis
Thanks mate
Excellent read, nice to see a well thought out and actual realistic list as opposed to the consistent FIFA 16 wish lists!
My only concern with any of these is that although some are somewhat household names, none are what you would call the finished article and that’s where LFC seem to have slipped up in recent years. I appreciate we aren’t the power of old and have to be selective, but I personally would be happy with one of those from the list, and an accompanying established wide player. Granted, not too many of those about but an article on that would be good.
Keep up the good work!
Hey mate,
The problem I see for Liverpool when it comes to signing established players in the 24-28 range is that the ones who are good enough for Liverpool are generally ungettable. They’re either already at a top club, or they’re at clubs with eyes on the top 4 and it’ll cost an insane amount to get them, similar to how Southampton have priced Lallana, Lovren and now Mane.
for me, either fekir or musa.
Both really good options I reckon.
A superb article. Reasoned and reasonable in equal measure. Good to read some informative analysis that’s based on honest research. I won’t claim to have known most of those identified by Dave but the majority look like realistic targets, all going well. What appeals most, for me, in this method of recruitment, is the fact that we will not be throwing immoral amounts of monies on over-priced PL players. We have been profligate to an inept degree on transfer policy for far too long now and until we have a root and branch in this dept. of the club we will continue to fail where it matters most. Dave’s article highlights that there is untapped talent out there, and that they don’t have to have been playing in the premier league. Here’s hoping the club are similarly minded.
It would appear that Mane’s better performances, according to Whoscored, have come from out wide as did the majority of his goals. Mane is clearly a very good footballer and a logical buy, however prosaic the scouting might be. He offers what Sterling might have had he stayed (pace on the break, directness, ability to molest players 1v1, and goals; but adds a functioning left foot). On the point maybe someone more qualified than me should do an analysis of LFC PL to foreign buys because with the exception of Carroll and Benteke (both ill-advised but easy to mitigated due to circumstances.) I’d say that they were in fact relatively even with regards to the success rate and that maybe the cost of players on the foreign market has caught up. For instance, I could see all of the players, apart from El Ghazi, you’ve mentioned going fot £10m more than the quoted prices.