Liverpool’s main focus of the upcoming transfer window appears to be replacing the departing Mo Salah.
The Egyptian is set to leave Liverpool this summer, after a goal-laden stint at Anfield which has seen him pick up four Premier League Golden Boots. He’s also won two league titles, three domestic cups and two Champions Leagues.
Replacing Salah, however, is impossible. Liverpool invested heavily last summer to ease the burden on Salah. Florian Wirtz was signed for £116million and brought in to become Liverpool’s creator-in-chief. While Isak, signed for £125m, was earmarked as the man to succeed Salah as the primary goalscorer at Anfield. On paper, Salah has already been replaced. Or, at least, his influence on the team has — albeit in theory rather than practice.
Still, talking about a Salah successor this season ultimately feels pointless. A new winger will be signed, but he’ll be a Salah replacement in position only. Liverpool’s main focus should be on finally finding an heir to Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In this article, we’ll cover
Liverpool’s creative problem
Alexander-Arnold left Liverpool last summer and, though Jeremy Frimpong was signed, the England international’s role within the squad wasn’t filled. Liverpool didn’t bring in someone to aid their buildup. With the exception of Virgil van Dijk, none of the defensive players are capable of playing a line-breaking pass. They can’t, reliably, get the team into the final third. Simply put, play is not progressing.
It’s why Liverpool’s attacking numbers are average despite domination possession this season. For example, Arne Slot’s men rank second in the Premier League this season for possession, and third for passes attempted. But they’re down in sixth for Expected Goals (61.06) and are, in fact, closer to 15th-placed West Ham United (49.91) than they are to metric-leaders Manchester City (74.55).
Liverpool have a lot of the ball, but don’t really do much with it. It’s sterile possession with no risk-takers in the team. Possession is slowly recycled and Liverpool are heavily reliant on individuals producing moments of magic to carve out openings. Gone are the days of Alexander-Arnold playing a decisive pass into one of the forwards, and turning nothing into something. Liverpool don’t possess a player with a Thiago profile to quicken the tempo in the middle third to create favourable scenarios for the difference-makers.
Wirtz is having to drop deeper and wider to receive the ball. He’s no in the areas Liverpool ideally would like him to be in. Purely because there’s nobody in the team capable of reliably supplying him.
Not only would a ball-playing midfielder solve the buildup issues, they’d also allow Wirtz to get the ball in areas he can do maximum damage. It’s a win-win. And it’s why this should be Richard Hughes’ focus this summer.
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Adam Wharton a must-have
It’s why Liverpool’s recent links to Adam Wharton make a lot of sense. The Reds aren’t the only team interesting in the Crystal Palace playmaker. He’s also been linked with Manchester United, Manchester City and Real Madrid. You can probably add a number of clubs to this list too, especially if the reports are true and he’s available for £60million this summer.
But while for others, Wharton would be a nice to have, for Liverpool he’s pretty much in the ‘must-have’ category.
The 22-year-old does something that other midfielders at Anfield just don’t do. He takes risks in possession. His risks aren’t careless though. They’re always purposeful. He plays passes deemed risky in an attempt to create something for his team. Sometimes they pay off, other times they don’t. Creative players aren’t supposed to be flawless in possession.
As a snapshot of what Wharton is like as a player, above is a pass map from his most recent gamea gainst Brentford. The Palace midfielder created four chances and attempted 42 passes. What stands out most is just how many times he attempted to play forward passes.
Wharton wants to get the ball to the difference makers in the final third. He can keep it simple, and he does, but if there’s an opening, he’s going to take it.
Adam Wharton vs Ryan Gravenberch
Wharton differences greatly to Ryan Gravenberch, who is a key cog in Liverpool’s double pivot. The Duthcman was recently rewarded for his turnaround in form at Anfield with a big-money deal, reportedly pocketing £280k-per-week. He’s more involved in play than Wharton, attempted 13 more passes per 90 minutes.
But this is expected in a more ball-dominant side. It is interesting to see that, despite attempting fewer passes, Wharton attempts more forward passes. These two metrics sum up Wharton in a nutshell. Less is sometimes more with him.
Wharton wouldn’t arrive as a like-for-like replacement for Gravenberch. In fact, he likely comes in to replace Alexis Mac Allister, and would free Gravenberch up to do things higher up the pitch. But the comparison with Gravenberch highlights the difference in player, and how Wharton’s arrival would shift the dynamic in this Liverpool team. Especially in the buildup. Wharton would be the right-sided player Liverpool have needed since losing Alexander-Arnold.