For only the second time in seven years, Liverpool will be playing Champions League football next season. Jürgen Klopp, at the expense of Arsène Wenger, has taken his Merseyside project to the summit of world football. But as one of England’s most prestigious clubs, the Reds should be aiming for much more than Champions League qualification. Liverpool should really be looking at winning the Premier League for the first time since its inception.
To do so, Jürgen Klopp must treat the summer transfer window with the utmost respect. He needs to make Liverpool a global force again by signing a superstar. Superstars don’t just have to be Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar, there are players below those immortals. A top signing could inspire the team to new heights, like a Premier League title.
Here are 5 superstar signings Liverpool need to win the Premier League next season.
#5 Jan Oblak
A leader, organiser and aerial dominator, Jan Oblak is one of Atletico Madrid’s main sources of defensive solidity. The Slovenian keeper has been an unsung hero at the Vicente Calderon, allowing them to hang in games where they’ve had inferior possession or have conceded a lot of shots. The 6-foot plus keeper excels at; shot-stopping, 1 on 1 scenarios and claiming crosses.
Neither Loris Karius nor Simon Mignolet have covered themselves in any glory this past season, so Liverpool’s need for an assured presence at the back is of critical status. Oblak would turn Liverpool’s defence from a comedy act to a feared proposition.
The 24-year old is young and still has a decade in the game ahead of him, he’s exactly the kind of keeper that can provide the foundation for a Premier League title win.
#4 Alex Sandro
James Milner, the versatile player that he is, tried his best to hide Liverpool’s left-back deficiency. The Englishman worked tirelessly on his positioning, defending and attacking contribution at left-back, but it’s not been enough. Alberto Moreno has clearly been exiled from Klopp’s system so throughout the season, Milner has been a target for opposing teams. For Liverpool to win the title, they cannot go into next season without a natural left-back.
Alex Sandro, over the course of the season, has proved why he’s so highly rated. Under Massimiliano Allegri, the Brazilian has taken his stock to new heights with consistently top performances. He’s so unfortunate to be in the same generation as Marcelo and Filipe Luis, two other world-class Brazilian full-backs.
As of today, Alex Sandro is only on £46,000-a-week at Turin. With record-high TV revenue in the Premier League, Liverpool could easily double that wage and significantly increase their prospects of winning the Premier League next season.
#3 James Rodriguez
For the past 2 years, we’ve heard about nothing but discontent surrounding James Rodriguez’s status at Real Madrid. Every Real Madrid press conference over the year has been bombarded with several questions surrounding the playing time of the Colombian.
The shining star who lit up the 2014 World Cup seems to be a man of the past as he now struggles for minutes at the Bernabéu. And the Colombian has made it very clear how he feels about the situation. His future is now so much in doubt that even Real Madrid Kingpin Cristiano Ronaldo is publicly persuading him to stay.
A club of Liverpool’s stature needs to be targeting such calibre of players. Now that the Reds have Champions League football, they’re a much more attractive proposition to foreign players. In a midfield three with Coutinho and Henderson, Rodriguez could provide the passing link between attack and midfield that Liverpool desperately craved throughout last season.
#2 Marquinhos
As one of the best young defenders on the planet, Marquinhos’ Paris Saint-Germain career hasn’t taken off like it should have. The 23-year old has found his place come under increasing amounts of pressure from youngster Presnel Kimpembe, pressure he doesn’t deserve.
The Brazilian excels at everything Jurgen Klopp desires from a defender; passing, speed, work rate and efficient 1v1 defending. It’s no secret that Liverpool have needed a centre-back all season to accompany Joel Matip.
Dejan Lovren and Ragnar Klavan are not up to the required standard as they’re both a mistake away from conceding a goal. Marquinhos would not only compliment Matip, he’d improve him as they could create a formidable partnership that would be aerially dominant and impossible to dribble past.
#1 Alvaro Morata
As one of the most exciting young forwards in world football, Alvaro Morata could literally walk into any starting XI in the world, apart from Real Madrid’s. This season, the Spaniard has played second fiddle to Karim Benzema, despite scoring more than him in fewer games.
Zinedine Zidane has made it clear that if the BBC trio are all fit, they will start regardless of the form of other players. The 24-year-old is too good to be warming the bench for half the season, he needs to be firing teams to titles, teams like Liverpool.
With his hard-working nature, blistering pace, intelligent movement and clinical finishing, Morata would seamlessly fit into Premier League football. Given the right supply and service, Morata would easily make Liverpool into title contenders as he upgrades their output. The Spaniard will instantly make their attack the most potent in the league.
