17 Apr 2021 17:08:35
Evenings Eds
Seen a lot written on who we have been linked with, in terms of position though if you were to prioritise our top five signings for the summer who would they be?
Mine would be
Centre back who can challenge to start, I don't think kabak has done enough and Phillips if he is happy to stay is good enough cover for me. If we want another player it makes more sense to keep a home grown player like Davies than spend 18m on kabak
Central midfielder
Someone who can cover Fabinho when needed but also play the slightly more advanced role wijnaldum takes up as currently we don't really have cover for either
Central striker
Someone to push Bobby and if form continues to deteriorate replace him and obviously someone younger to be long term successor would be ideal
Winger
At least starter level player if we are to let one of the two wide men go this summer which due to age I think we need to. Choice for me would be mane purely as I don't think you would get enough for mo in this window and he still gives more output that mane as well
Finally full back
Someone young who could cover either side or cover centre back as well so they were guaranteed some minutes but not desperate to challenge the starters immediately as we don't require a permanent cover in my opinion as our two full backs are so strong.

Some of this depends on plans for the likes of oxlade chamberlain, Elliot, minamino, Davies.
For this I have assumed the likes of grujic, Keita, tsimikas, Adrian, shaqiri, wijanldum and origi will be moving on as well.

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool will not be selling loan and fringe players to add starters - if starters are to sign you can reasonably expect starter to leave Alex.}

17 Apr 2021 19:38:51
Gini is leaving so that’s one.

17 Apr 2021 19:42:15
No I do expect starters or competition players to leave and only real starter I see arriving would be the cb and winger.
I would expect the club to try and offload Adrian, matip, tsimikas, shaqiri, Keita, mane possibly, minamino maybe, origi as well as those on loan like grujic, Wilson, ojo etc.
The central midfielder and striker would ideally not be starters they would be young players providing competition and the full back cover would be ideally extremely young to hopefully develop over time.

I realise not all these positions may be brought in over one summer which is why I was asking for priority of what you possibly thought would be targeted first.

17 Apr 2021 20:22:34
I really don’t see Mane or any of the other front three being sold in Summer unless they’ve expressly asked to leave.
His form is poor, granted, but that will return.
I don’t know how Elliott has developed physically but I’d be wary of putting too much store in such a young player.
I can see another forward joining, at the expense of Origi, Shaqiri etc, but as rotation for what we have.
I do see the logic on the face of it of selling one or more of them but it’s false economy in my view; they’re just too good, too durable and absolutely reliable.
They didn’t cost a huge amount of money and we shouldn’t be in the business of selling our best players.
A freshen up, sure, but not wholesale change.
Midfield and CB need starters for definite, forward positions don’t.

17 Apr 2021 21:33:45
The reason to sell one this year irrelevant if form would be that next year or the year after that their value will gradually start to decline and it’s harder to replace them when you are getting less for them. Plus replacing all three in a season or two is a massive step, gradually replacing them piece by piece is a lot smaller task and allows integration a lot easier than one massive whole sale change when they suddenly all hit early thirties together.

18 Apr 2021 12:40:59
I fully agree with everything you said, Juicer.