Liverpool’s summer transfer window began with such promise, and despite the exciting purchases of Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the din of the alarm bells threatens to sound across Anfield with the 23/24 Premier League season just one week away.
The departures of James Milner, Naby Keita, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain from Anfield were to be expected, with the three having completed their contracts and being deemed surplus to requirements, but the Saudi Arabian swoops for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson have left Liverpool lacking in the holding midfield position.
Jurgen Klopp must reconsider his interest in Crystal Palace midfielder Eberechi Eze following a recent update on the midfielder’s position.
What’s the latest on Eberechi Eze’s move to Liverpool?
According to talkSPORT, Eze has demonstrated a reluctance to initiate contract negotiations at Selhurst Park, despite the fact that a number of prominent European clubs are keen; he has two years remaining on his present term.
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Liverpool were believed to be monitoring the situation for the dynamo in June, and Klopp may now be willing to reopen a deal for the Eagles player, who is thought to be worth €30 million (£26 million).
How good is Eberechi Eze?
The 25-year-old moved from Queens Park Rangers to Selhurst Park for £20 million in 2020, scoring 15 goals and giving 11 assists in 93 games across all competitions.
The quick-footed phenom has faced difficulties before, rupturing his Achilles seconds before being called up to England’s European Championship squad in May 2021, resulting in just 13 appearances during the 21/22 season.
However, the £30k-per-week ace, who finally made his England debut this summer, scored ten goals and provided four assists in the English top-flight last season, notably coming into his own toward the end of the campaign, scoring six goals and providing one assist across the final nine outings as the Eagles constructed a late purple patch under the sagely Roy Hodgson.
According to FBref, Eze now ranks among the top 1% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 16% for progressive carries, and the top 1% for successful take-ons per 90.
Eze normally plays in the attacking midfield spot, but he has found success in a variety of deployments, and if Klopp chooses to use him in a way that allows his box-crashing abilities to shine, it might prove to be a masterstroke of a signing.
Especially considering the explosive connection he might form with Mohamed Salah, whose all-encompassing assault could allow Eze to create dangerous gaps with impressive regularity.
Salah has been exceptional since joining Liverpool from Roma in 2017, scoring 186 goals and assisting 79 times in 305 appearances, garnering former Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen’s praise as “one of the greatest of all time.”
The £350k-per-week Egyptian ranks among the top 3% of attacking midfielders and wingers for goals, the top 13% for assists, and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, and given his innate ability to find goals and assists in abundance, a gem like Eze will have no problem getting in on the action by darting into promising positions.
Eze, dubbed a “magician” by Sky Sports commentator Micah Richards, would take the next step in his development and then some with a move to Anfield, and Klopp must assess the impact it could have on the general cohesion and attacking flair of his team before making his move.
