Any transfer plan that Liverpool may have had ahead of this summer was likely thrown into doubt when Jurgen Klopp announced that he would be leaving the club at the end of the season. That said, the Reds are now starting to think about their next era and just who could come in to hand their new manager an instant boost.
The focus has naturally been on Liverpool’s managerial candidates, with Xabi Alonso at the forefront of those rumours following how he’s impressed in Germany. The Spaniard’s Bayer Leverkusen side sit top of the Bundesliga and unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, making him the reported top target to replace Klopp.
Liverpool’s Alonso rumours have come with links to the likes of Florian Wirtz and Piero Hincapie, who have both starred under the former Real Madrid midfielder this season. Alonso’s 3-4-2-1 system would certainly shake things up at Anfield away from Klopp’s classic 4-3-3 and potentially create the need for certain arrivals.
The Leverkusen manager’s system uses two attacking midfielders, for example, and if he takes the Liverpool job, he may need to turn to the transfer market to implement that at Anfield. And that’s where one star could come in.
According to CalcioMercato, Liverpool are in pole position to sign Georgiy Sudakov this summer, with the report suggesting that they’re the only club to come “really close” to securing the Shakhtar Donetsk man, ahead of the likes of Manchester City, Barcelona and Bayern Munich.
It remains to be seen whether the Reds will secure a deal for the attacking midfielder, however, with his reported €150m (£128m) release clause potentially proving to be a stumbling block, although his club are thought to be willing to accept a figure closer to €50m (£43m).
Sudakov’s stats in a full campaign last season show how good he can be, with 11 assists and five goals representing a player at the top of his game. With such a hefty release clause, however, it remains to be seen whether Liverpool pursue the deal for their first post-Klopp signing.
