Here is your Liverpool morning digest for Wednesday, June 22.
Liverpool could replace Mohamed Salah with £34m Real Madrid forward
When it comes to Liverpool’s frontline, flexibility is the order of the day. Diogo Jota, Sadio Mane and Takumi Minamino each made at least one start in all three of the available positions last season, writes Andrew Beasley.
The composition of Jurgen Klopp’s new look favoured front three is yet to be determined but the Reds attacking signings in 2021/22 have also shown they can be versatile. Luis Diaz has already played on both flanks for Liverpool while Darwin Nunez proved productive for Benfica both centrally and on the left.
As such, it’s no surprise to see the club linked with further players who can fulfil more than one role at the business end of the pitch. One rumour which refuses to go away is the idea of Real Madrid’s Marco Asensio signing for Liverpool.
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Last summer it was claimed that the Reds had made a £34million bid for the Spanish international, then in February it was reported he had received offers from both Arsenal and Liverpool . With Mane’s time with the club at an end and Mohamed Salah entering the final year of his contract, it’s plausible that Asensio could be a transfer target.
The 26-year-old has just had the best goal scoring campaign of his career, hitting double figures for the first time. Per WhoScored, Asensio netted six times as a right forward in Carlo Ancelotti’s Liverpool -like 4-3-3 formation, adding three goals in two appearances in midfield, and two from the bench.
A similar pattern has occurred across his seven seasons in La Liga, where 10 of his 32 league goals have been scored when starting on the left of the attack and eight on the opposite side. As for why the Madrid man has reached new heights this season, the answer lies in several related factors.
Asensio scored three times from outside the penalty area, a total just 15 players (only one of whom played fewer minutes) bettered in Europe’s biggest five leagues. This is an aspect of goal scoring at which Liverpool could improve . They topped the Premier League for shots from outside the box in 2021/22 yet four teams scored more long-range goals than them and Manchester City got nearly twice as many (15 versus eight).
READ THE FULL STORY HERE .
Sadio Mane sent blunt message as Bayern Munich transfer nears
Ally McCoist has questioned Sadio Mane’s reasons for leaving Liverpool to join Bayern Munich.
The Reds have agreed a deal with the Bundesliga giants worth £35million that will see the Senegalese international’s time at Anfield come to an end. Liverpool will receive a fixed fee of €32m (£27.4m) with a further €9m (£7.7m) in add-ons.
All that appears left is for Bayern to announce the transfer. But it is one that has confused former Rangers and Scotland star McCoist.
“Why is he doing it, is it for financial reasons? I don’t know, that’s the question we can’t answer,” the popular pundit said on talkSPORT.
“Is it because he wants to play in another country? Possibly. Is he going to a better league? No.
“Is he going to a more competitive league? No. Is he going to a better team? No. I find it very strange.
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