We are only one week away from the closure of the transfer window, and Liverpool are primed to do more business after their thrilling summer of spending.
Alexander Isak, anyone? He’s the dream, that’s for sure, but Newcastle United have taken hardball to the next level and are blocking the Sweden striker’s departure, even after he has exhausted almost every effort in getting the move done.
Liverpool need another forward, even after welcoming Hugo Ekitike and Florian Wirtz to the fold, but Arne Slot will, by and large, be delighted with his outfit’s activity after winning the Premier League with such confidence last year.
A deal for Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi also remains in the pipeline, but Liverpool could also be set to offload one or two more first-teamers before the end of the month.
Who could still leave Liverpool
Harvey Elliott was anticipated to leave Liverpool as the 2024/25 campaign wound down, but he still remains part of Slot’s first-team squad.
That might change, though, with RB Leipzig and Tottenham Hotspur interested in getting a deal done. Loan approaches are also being considered for young fringe players Kaide Gordon and James McConnell. Lewis Koumas joined Birmingham City on loan earlier this week.
Kostas Tsimikas is also slated for an exit. Liverpool currently have three left-backs, after all. Having signed Milos Kerkez from Bournemouth in a £40m deal back in June, the Greek defender is understandably surplus to requirements, with Andy Robertson willing to fight for his place over the coming year.
Kerkez left plenty to be desired on his first Premier League outing for the Reds, but he walked among giants at the PFA awards earlier this week, part of a Team of the Year that included Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.
However, while the 21-year-old may be a little over-zealous in the challenge, he’s got so much potential, far outstripping Liverpool’s Robertson in the top flight last term.
Matches (starts)
38 (38)
33 (29)
Goals
2
0
Assists
5
1
Touches*
59.6
64.5
Pass completion
80%
88%
Big chances created
8
7
Ball recoveries*
4.4
3.2
Dribbles*
0.6
0.2
Tackles + interceptions*
2.6
1.8
Clearances*
2.6
1.3
Ground duels (won)*
3.3 (61%)
1.6 (52%)
With Liverpool having already sold Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz at the top of the field, they need a new forward, and if Isak does prove to have a signature beyond FSG’s reach, Liverpool have found an alternative who could help Kerkez in growing into his skin on Merseyside.
Liverpool step up bid for new forward
According to Football Insider, Real Madrid winger Rodrygo has engaged in talks with his Brazilian teammate Alisson as he weighs up his options before the transfer deadline.
Rodrygo, 24, is regarded as one of the best wingers in the world, but he’s fallen out of favour at the Santiago Bernabeu, and Los Blancos would be open to selling for a figure in the region of €90m (equating to £76m).
However, Manchester City are also showing a vested interest in the versatile talent, and probably have the lead, given Liverpool’s priority remains with Isak until explicitly informed by Newcastle that he is not leaving.
Why Liverpool want Rodrygo
Up until now, Rodrygo has been considered one of Liverpool’s contemporary nemeses, for he has plied his craft with Real Madrid since his 18th year, and the Spanish giants were so often a thorn in Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Across his six years at Real Madrid, Rodrygo has scored 68 goals and supplied 51 assists, winning two Champions League titles and La Liga three times.
Rodrygo isn’t the strongest forward, nor does he have the prolific output of someone like Salah, or Vinicius Junior and Kylian Mbappe at Real Madrid.
But he’s still an almighty star, endowed with pace and skill and intelligence that could add several dimensions to Slot’s side. Bringing such qualities to the table at Anfield, he could be the dream left winger to combine with Kerkez.
Rodrygo hasn’t always found a home on his preferred left wing at Real Madrid, and though he flattered to deceive at times last year, he scored six goals and supplied six assists across just 12 games as a left winger in 2024/25, compared to a return of 13 goal involvements from 31 matches on the right.
Not only is Rodrygo prolific when his strongest attributes are correctly utilised, but he’s crisp and progressive too, with data-driven platform FBref revealing that he ranks among the top 2% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues for pass completion and the top 19% for progressive carries per 90.
Remarked to be “the jewel in the crown” at Madrid by one analyst, the diminutive Brazilian differs from Gakpo, who is more economical on the ball, more focused on serving as a direct goalscoring threat.
Rodrygo’s movement and link-up play, conversely, lend themselves to a wider scope of responsibility, and that could ensure Kerkez hits his stride in a Liverpool shirt this season.
The young Hungarian certainly has the technical aptitude and athleticism to thrive at Liverpool (he’s proved his worth in the Premier League, hasn’t he?), but Liverpool’s bar is high, and you need the full gamut to succeed, bringing everything together.
Kerkez is such an energetic and dynamic force, and has the burners to overlap ahead of Rodrygo and widen Liverpool’s attacking options. This, in turn, enables the Brazilian to arc inwards and strike on goal, as has proven to be so effective when he is deployed on his preferred flank.
