We've now entered the final week of the summer transfer window, and Liverpool have yet to complete the first senior signing of the Arne Slot era.
Liverpool have recouped over £60m in August through the sales of young fringe players Sepp van den Berg, Fabio Carvalho and Bobby Clark – with further outgoings expected – while veterans Joel Matip and Thiago Alcantara left upon the expiry of their contracts in June to free up a combined £300k-per-week of the wage bill.
Transfer guru Fabrizio Romano has revealed on his Here We Go podcast that he expects the Reds to get busy at this late stage, with Joe Gomez potentially moving on. Should that happen, signing a new centre-back would be imperative.
Fans crave the arrival of a deep-sitting midfielder too, but recent rumours actually suggest that FSG are considering an audacious swoop for one of Europe's finest wide forwards.
Liverpool transfer news
According to Football Insider, Liverpool are plotting a late move for Napoli winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, who has emerged as one of the most talented wingers in the world over the past few years.
The Georgian dominated Italy as Napoli won the Scudetto in 2022/23, and though the side fell off a proverbial cliff last year, he remained a world-class component.
The Naples giants shudder at the thought of his exit. Any deal would be complicated by his having three years remaining on his contract, and offers below £70m wouldn't be entertained. But then Liverpool do have money to spend, on the right player of course.
A left-sided forward, Kvaratskhelia would not be lined up as Mohamed Salah's replacement. The Egyptian king is out of contract at the end of the campaign but Liverpool appear ready to wait until 2025 before signing the perfect successor on the right flank.
Instead, Kvaratskhelia would bring his qualities to the left, with level of talent that could actually see him eclipse the competition and become one of Slot's most important cogs.
What Khvicha Kvaratskhelia would bring to Liverpool
Kvaratskhelia has that almost ineffable quality of raising the roof with mere movements, shifting and scurrying past his opponents to wreak the most remarkable of devastation, supplying goal machine Victor Osimhen with high-class consistency and finding space to unleash strikes on goal himself.
To think that the Italian team signed the 23-year-old for only €10m (£9m) in 2022, bringing him in from Dinamo Batumi in Georgia following previous spells in Russia.
He has now scored 25 goals and supplied 26 assists across 88 appearances for his current club, indeed winning the 2022/23 Serie A title and being crowned the division's Player of the Year.
Most impressive is his ability to carry that form into Gli Azzurri's title defence, where it all fell apart and the team languished toward a tenth-place finish.
He was hailed for his "unstoppable" attacking ability by talent scout Jacek Kulig while also evidencing the kind of dynamic and athletically robust style of play that would be sure to thrive in the Premier League.
On that point: as per FBref, he ranks among the top 19% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for pass completion, the top 15% for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for progressive carries and the top 6% for successful take-ons per 90.
He'd be the perfect addition at Liverpool, though it's implausible to imagine he would be signed without a high-profile sale.
An upgrade on Luis Diaz
Luis Diaz's potential move to Barcelona seems to have been in the pipeline for ages, with his father revealing last year that his son is a supporter of the Catalan club and would consider a transfer to Camp Nou his unmatchable dream.
Such rumours have persisted throughout the summer transfer window, though Slot has recently stated that Diaz is at the core of his plans and he does not expect him to depart this month.
Rightly so. Diaz's fleet-footed, electric nature is hard to replicate, and while he's not the most clinical forward in the world, with only eight goals across 37 Premier League games last year, if there was ever a showcase of his skillset, he completed all five dribbles against Ipswich Town last weekend, also winning eight duels and placing three key passes.
Matches (starts)
37 (32)
34 (32)
Goals
8
11
Assists
5
6
Touches*
43.8
55.1
Shots (on target)*
2.5 (0.9)
3.8 (1.3)
Pass completion
85%
86%
Big chances created
5
11
Key passes*
1.8
1.9
Dribbles*
1.8
3.0
Ball recoveries*
3.4
2.9
Total duels won*
4.6
6.9
But, as you can see above, Kvaratskhelia is more rounded and more deadly in his performances, and four years younger than Liverpool's maverick, he could be the perfect, long-term option for Slot.
His dribbling output and energy in the duel, as well as his tipped favour in creative and ball-playing metrics, speak volumes about the kind of package Liverpool would land.
Barcelona are still in the market for a winger despite closing in on Federico Chiesa from Juventus (right-sided) so Diaz could yet be sold, and Kvaratskhelia must be signed, no one else.
Therefore, this is a deal that FSG need to see cross the line. Next summer, there could be a storm of interest in the Georgia superstar's services, but for now, a golden opportunity to swoop in and land a prodigious talent has opened up, and he must be signed.
Slot's own Ugarte: Liverpool could land dream No.6 in £51m "machine"
Will the Reds sign a No. 6 in the coming week?
ByAngus Sinclair Aug 24, 2024