If Liverpool are going to find their feet and tick off a few boxes before the end of the season, they will need Alexander Isak to be on his A-game over the closing weeks.
The Sweden striker joined Liverpool from Newcastle United in a record-breaking £125m deal last summer, but so far, FSG haven’t got bang for their buck, with Isak unfit and ineffective in the build-up to his ankle break in December, sustained while scoring against Tottenham Hotspur.
Though there is uncertainty around Arne Slot’s future in the Anfield dugout, Liverpool’s frontline is well set for future success, but there is a sense that more is still needed. The Reds’ attacking play has been stale throughout the campaign, with creative connections not coming off.
Next season, Isak will surely play within closer reach to the fantastic form that characterised his time at St. James’ Park, but he will need to find some of it before the summer break, firing Liverpool back into the ascendancy, ensuring they have a place in next year’s Champions League and thus can sign top targets.
Liverpool among favourites for Premier League forward
Football’s transfer-focused paparazzi are understandably training their lens’ on Mohamed Salah, who will draw the curtain on his iconic Anfield career this summer, but there’s a case to be made that Liverpool need to sign an upgrade on left winger Cody Gakpo too.
Rio Ngumoha, 17, has been quite the revelation over the course of the season, finally starting to earn consistent minutes under Slot’s wing.
However, it’s important that Liverpool do not overburden the youngster at the start of his career. He has not yet grown into his skin and must continue to challenge for a starting spot, not dominate the left wing.
With that in mind, maybe there’s something in the claim that Liverpool could sign Morgan Rogers, with Caught Offside relaying reports that the Aston Villa star is looking to leave Unai Emery’s project this summer.
Top Premier League outfits such as Arsenal and Manchester United would only be too keen to sign him themselves, and with Villa placing a £100m price tag on the Three Lions star, this could turn into one of the summer’s defining stories.
Why Morgan Rogers is perfect for Liverpool
Rogers, still only 23, is developing into a superstar. Since the start of last season for Aston Villa, he has scored 24 goals and supplied 23 assists, hailed as “one of the world’s best” by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Redknapp.
Given the hefty fee that would be required, as well as his reputation as the star man at a Premier League rival, Liverpool could actually repeat their Isak signing by adding Rogers to the ranks.
There’s no question has had a tough start, but class is permanent, as they say, and he will return to world-class form at some stage. Rogers, too, is turning into quite the attacking midfielder.
The England international’s pace and directness allow him to move across the frontline, typically used centrally by Emery but boasting a wealth of experience out wide, preferably on the left.
Though Aston Villa are going to play hardball when suitors start sniffing around, Rogers is hopeful that his club will grant him his wish to move on this summer, especially if he can deliver on the European front and seal another Europa League title for Emery.
|
Rogers – Career Stats by Position |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Position |
Apps |
Goals + Assists |
|
Left Wing |
105 |
28 + 13 |
|
Attacking Midfield |
75 |
20 + 14 |
|
Right Wing |
44 |
9 + 17 |
|
Centre-Forward |
22 |
6 + 4 |
Isak, of course, bagged the winning goal as Newcastle beat Liverpool in the Carabao Cup final last year, so there is a similarity to be observed there.
Liverpool already have two top attacking midfielders in Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz, but their interest in Rogers is genuine, with the hint that he might return to a left-sided role, combining with the likes of Isak in the middle.
Whether FSG can get it done remains to be seen – especially with there being a need to replace Salah on the right, but if Rogers is available this summer, they would be foolish to resist exploring a deal.
Hailed as “a machine” in attack by The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell, Rogers has accrued a wealth of experience with Aston Villa, and the way things are going for Emery’s men, he could play a leading role in a triumphant European conquest before jetting off for the World Cup.
He’s still young, but Rogers is their talisman and shaping into one of Europe’s finest. At Liverpool, he would thrive.
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