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Having reached the Champions League final and finished 4th in the Premier League, Liverpool were always likely to splash the cash in order to reach the next level: winning the league.
With the pre-agreed arrival of Naby Keita from Leipzig and their recent £43.7 million acquisition of Fabinho from Monaco, the Reds have already improved their midfield options drastically.
However, their depth in attacking positions is still sorely lacking which had proved to be one of the reasons for their Champions League final defeat to Real Madrid. Once Salah went of injured, Jurgen Klopp was forced to bring on a half-fit Adam Lallana as his other options included the likes of Danny Ings and Dominic Solanke.
During the 2017/18 season, Liverpool could count themselves extremely lucky that their attacking trio of Firmino, Mane and Salah were rarely injured. With all three set to represent their national teams during the FIFA World Cup as well as an early start to the Premier League season means that the trio will not have enough time to rest.
Therefore, it is hugely necessary for Liverpool to buy some quality back-up in the attacking positions and the world cup could pro some fantastic options. So here are 5 attack minded players, Liverpool should keep an eye on during the world cup:
#5 Bruno Fernandes (Portugal)
Due to an internal unrest playing out at the Estadio Jose Alvalade, many of the Sporting stars including the likes of Gelson Martins, William Carvalho and Rui Patricio might be available for free. The list of players seeking an early termination of their contacts also includes a Portuguese midfielder, Bruno Fernandes, who lit up Primeira league in his first season at the club.
The Portuguese international scored 11 goals and provided 8 assists from midfield as Sporting narrowly missed out on Champions League qualification. Though more of an attacking midfielder with a defensive mindset, Fernandes still managed 2.04 key passes as well as completed 1.41 dribbles per game.
The former Sampdoria man would be a good fit at Anfield and could play in the number 8 role, a position which has been vacant since Steven Gerrard's retirement. Although most Liverpool fans would be sceptical about such comparisons, a strong showing in the world cup can put those fears to bed.
Available for free, if the civil war at Sporting doesn’t end, the midfielder could turn out to be a bargain for the Merseyside club.
#4 Hirving Lozano
One of the most talented youngsters to emerge from Mexico, Hirving Lozano currently plies his trade for Eredivisie side PSV Eindhoven. A player who predominantly occupies the left wing, Lozano had a stellar first season in Holland having contributed 17 league goals.
After an excellent season, Lozano could be the surprise package of the tournament. 'El Tri' will hope that their young sensation could play a big role in leading them past the group stages against the likes of Germany, Sweden and South Korea.
Possessing an excellent turn of pace and an eye for a goal, Lozano can provide backup for the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, without a considerable dip in quality.
Coincidentally, a certain Uruguayan by the name of Luis Suarez set the Premier League ablaze after a move from Eredivisie during the 2011 January transfer window. The Liverpool fans will more than happy if Lozano could turn out to be half as good as the current Barcelona man.
#3 Xherdan Shaqiri (Switzerland)
The latest player to be monitored by the Merseyside club, Xherdan Shaqiri was relegated with Stoke City at the end of the 2017/18 season. In a team consisting of Championship quality players, Shaqiri was the only shining light in a disastrous campaign, contributing 8 goals and setting up a further 7.
Shaqiri announced himself during the 2014 World Cup, scoring a hattrick against Honduras in the group stage, with a curling strike from outside the box being the pick of the bunch. Already capped 69 times for the national team, the 26-year old tricky winger is still his side’s most creative player. Pitted against the likes of Brazil, Costa Rica and Serbia, Liverpool supporters would be keeping a keen eye on the winger.
The diminutive winger is understood to have a relegation release clause of around £12-£13.5 million, which at the current market rate is absolutely nothing. With Liverpool in dire need of backups for the front three, snapping up Shaqiri at that price could be a smart piece of business.
#2 Julian Draxler (Germany)
Fresh from a domestic treble with Paris Saint Germain in France, Draxler’s stock has continuously been on the rise since captaining an inexperienced German team to Confederations Cup victory in 2017, leading by example as he won the Golden Ball.
The 44-cap German International, who started his career on the wings, now plays more centrally, usually as the left midfielder in a midfield three for PSG. With the arrivals of Neymar and Mbappe, Draxler has been forced to move into midfield, a role in which he has transitioned seamlessly.
Perhaps the closest to Liverpool’s first choice target Nabil Fekir, Draxler could only manage 4 goals last season. Perhaps with Fekir having a free role and being his team’s biggest attacking outlet, comparisons with Draxler seem a bit out of context as the German played a more conservative role without having to worry about goal scoring in a team that contained Neymar, Cavani and Mbappe.
Klopp likes multifunctional players, and with Draxler suited to play both the Coutinho role as well as provide cover on the wings, the German international would be an instant hit at Anfield. Despite playing second fiddle in France, the young German would still cost a lot of money as the French club are desperate to keep him.
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#1 Piotr Zielinski (Poland)
A 32-cap Polish International, Piotr Zielinski came very close to joining Liverpool during the summer of 2016. The Red chiefs could only offer £11.75 million to Udinese, just a little short of the Italian club’s valuation of £13 million. Instead, the Polish midfielder would go on to join Napoli despite being pictured in a Liverpool shirt previously.
The same player is now rated close to £60 million, having performed incredibly well in the Serie A for the past couple of seasons. His talent on the ball have already led to comparisons to Kevin De Bruyne.
"He will be the next De Bruyne? I think Zielinski already has more quality than De Bruyne"- Zbigniew Boniek, Head of Polish FA
Comfortable in possession and able to dictate the tempo of play, Zielinski could play as a Regista in a midfield two or as a box-to-box player in a midfield three. He could finally be the heir to Xabi Alonso, adding a layer of creativity from deep.
A good World Cup would add more millions to his already inflated transfer value, but as we have seen, Liverpool these days are not afraid to stump up the cash.
Let us know what you think about this list in the comments section below.
