Liverpool are in a fantastic position, and though Arne Slot’s side will be wary of the title-chasing competition in the Premier League, the six-point lead (with a game in hand) makes it Anfield’s to lose.
The 2024/25 campaign has been contested against the backdrop of contractual uncertainties: Virgil van Dijk has been coy; Mohamed Salah has sought to nudge reporters into portraying his narrative in his way; the other, more concerning, third of the problem is Trent Alexander-Arnold, who has been largely silent as Real Madrid draw closer to making their move.
Elsewhere, FSG do need to deal with the other exit-related issues at Anfield, with a certain club-record signing seemingly reaching the end of the road.
Liverpool centre-forward conundrum
Darwin Nunez is two-and-a-half years into his Liverpool career but still struggling to convince Merseyside of his ability to lead Slot’s frontline.
Were it not for the prolific success of his peers, the Uruguay international’s plight would have received far heavier criticism, and it hasn’t exactly been a low-profile stint for him anyway.
It’s a conundrum, to be sure. In fact, Liverpool bosses appear to be at the end of their tether, with Football Insider already reporting this month that offers around £50m-£60m would be accepted for his sale.
Then you have Diogo Jota. The Portugal forward is regarded as one of Liverpool’s deadliest finishers, ranking among the top 8% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored (0.67) per 90, as per FBref.
But Jota’s fitness record is hardly something for rivals to envy. He’s not the long-term centre-forward solution across 40 or 50 matches, season in, season out.
If Liverpool are going to increase their goal threat from number nine and lessen the workload that Mohamed Salah has shouldered for so many years, sporting director Richard Hughes is going to need to get it right in the transfer market.
Nunez has missed 50 big chances in the Premier League since arriving in July 2022, as per Sofascore, only scoring 22 goals in that timeframe. The Uruguayan striker is 25 now and not showing the growth that all of a Liverpool persuasion would have expected.
It’s no surprise that FSG are perusing the market for a replacement.
Liverpool leading race for Nunez replacement
Anfield Watch have revealed that Stefanos Tzimas is on Liverpool’s radar and that the Reds are very ‘eager to sign’ the PAOK forward, who is thriving on loan for FC Nurnberg in the 2. Bundesliga.
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PAOK have a principle agreement in place for Nurnberg to sign the 19-year-old permanently for £15m in the summer, but Liverpool have been informed that they would secure the teenager’s signature for a £25m fee. Bayern Munich are also interested but the Reds are firmly ahead.
Further reports by Sky Sports Germany’s Florian Plettenberg on Monday indicate that Liverpool ‘have started talks’ with the player’s club via a phone call a few days ago.
Building on the Nunez rumours, it’s also been claimed that Saudi Pro League giants Al Hilal are interested in taking the Uruguayan off Slot’s hands, thus freeing up room for a talent such as Tzimas to join the cause.
What Stefanos Tzimas would bring to Liverpool
Salah has been Liverpool’s anchor point up front since joining Jurgen Klopp’s cause way back in 2017, and though he may extend his contract, the 32-year-old won’t be around forever.
What Slot needs is an up-and-coming goalscorer who will go from strength to strength with each passing year. Tzimas is that man, having already been hailed as a “monster in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig.
PAOK
30
5
1
Nurnberg
15
8
2
PAOK U19
11
5
0
PAOK B
10
7
3
His stay in the German second division looks to be paying dividends in relation to his development, with the 19-year-old having scored eight goals across 14 appearances for the 11-placed side this term, starting only ten of those fixtures and missing 11 big chances, as per Sofascore, which isn’t all that bad when noting Nunez’s aforementioned profligacy.
Given that Liverpool would be signing him after sharpening his tools in Germany, Tzimas could be Slot’s very own version of Roberto Firmino.
Tzimas ranks among the top 5% of forwards across divisions ranked below Europe’s top five leagues for goals scored, the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons and the top 18% for tackles per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
There’s no question that he’s more than just a goalscorer, and indeed, this could be exactly what Liverpool need to emulate their triumphant Firmino signing.
Bobby Dazzler wasn’t really a goalscorer, not with Salah and Sadio Mane flanking him. The Brazil star operated in a unique and false-nineish realm that allowed him to pull strings with artful flicks and intelligent passes. He was also a dogged defender, part of the game that Tzimas seemingly enjoys too.
Defensive striker and all that, but Firmino posted 186 goal contributions across 362 appearances for the Reds, winning everything on offer (barring that pesky Europa League trophy) and going down as a modern club legend.
It sometimes feels like Nunez has some of the elements needed to succeed as a number nine, tenacious and talented and willing to get stuck in defensively, but he’s not got the temperament in front of goal. Anfield icon Robbie Fowler even said that he’s “not a Liverpool player” before Slot’s side took on Accrington Stanley in the FA Cup. Nunez missed a great chance in that one.
With the likes of Jota and Luis Diaz starring for Liverpool, a rising prospect such as Tzimas could certainly be signed and nurtured to the fore over the coming years. Perhaps he can become the greatest central forward since Firmino, eclipsing Nunez.
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