This year has not been what Liverpool expected.
They didn’t win the league title last term and certainly won’t win it this season with Jurgen Klopp’s men already 15 points off the top in the Premier League.
It marks the worst start to a campaign for the German tactician since he took charge all the way back in 2015.
Coincidentally, the club may now be about to embark on its largest period of change since he entered the football club.
Having penned a new deal this year, Klopp looked set for another successful few years under FSG’s guidance but the future of the club is now up in the air with suggestions that the Reds’ owners are hoping to sell up.
Should that happen, a great deal of wealth could be brought to Anfield, with no doubt plenty of wealthy businessmen and women exploring whether they have the finances to tie up a deal.
If a mega-rich new owner does arrive in Merseyside, then we could expect some exciting transfer business, akin to that of Manchester City and Newcastle.
That’s not to say that a Saudi-led consortium will be moving to Liverpool anytime soon, but there have already been rumours of Middle East involvement with a supposed offer from Dubai.
Should that take place then Liverpool will need to act swiftly in the transfer market, but who could they sign? Here are three players Football FanCast think should be targeted first by any new owners.
Jamal Musiala
The Bayern Munich starlet has been touted in some circles as Liverpool’s alternative to Jude Bellingham next year and if they can lure him to Anfield, it would be quite the signing.
That said, they may have to pay in the region of £140m to get their man, a deal that would obviously be more attainable should free-spending owners arrive.
Musiala is capable of playing in a host of positions, from centre forward to attacking midfield and out on the wing.
Dubbed “scary” by DAZN’s Cristian Nyari, the remarkable 19-year-old has found the net on 12 occasions already this term while registering eight assists. It’s no surprise to see that those returns as a collective out trump anyone at Klopp’s disposal already, including Mo Salah, throughout 2022/23.
Frenkie de Dong
Liverpool’s midfield issues are well documented but in De Jong and Musiala, Klopp has the potential to unearth one of the most frightening duos in the Premier League.
While Musiala is a more offensive threat, De Jong is a metronome, capable of dictating play from deep but also involving himself in attacks.
The subject of interest from both the Reds and Manchester United in recent months, it would perhaps be the most exciting signing for any supporter, with the idea of beating their rivals to a top target no doubt holding great appeal.
James Milner, Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago are all now ageing assets while Naby Keira cannot be relied upon from a fitness point of view. Therefore, signing a midfielder in January should be of utmost importance.
Whether that happens to be De Jong remains to be seen, but with an asking price of £75m, it might be too pricy for FSG. That’s why any new owner may have the upper hand when it comes to negotiating with Barcelona.
Mykhaylo Mudryk
A player seemingly linked with every man and his dog right now, Mudryk would be a sensational signing for any new owner looking to replace Sadio Mane.
The Ukrainian winger has been linked with not only Liverpool, but Arsenal and Newcastle too, who look set to do battle throughout 2023 to pry him away from Shakhtar Donetsk.
One of the quickest players in world football, Darijo Srna once claimed: “After Kylian Mbappe and Vinicius Jr, he’s the best player in Europe in his position.”
The 21-year-old, who can feature on either wing, would add great depth to a squad that already has the likes of Salah, Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz at his disposal.
Nunez is an incredibly quick figure himself but arguably, very few are more direct than Mudryk who could have the potential to leapfrog most of the current attacking crop at Anfield.
Salah won’t be around forever and in the young Ukraine star, they could find a player with undoubted talent; as well as an incredibly dangerous footballer.
He has burst onto the scene this season, bagging seven times and assisting six goals, demonstrating that he is a real threat in the opposition’s half.
