Liverpool have lacked creativity and spark in their attacking play at the top end of the pitch at times in the Premier League with Arne Slot at the helm this season.
As much as the Dutchman could be blamed for the system or tactics deployed on the pitch, the Reds also lack naturally creative and inventive attacking players.
Mohamed Salah did the heavy lifting last season with 27 ‘big chances’ created and 18 assists in the Premier League, on his way to the PFA Player of the Year award.
The Egyptian forward has not hit those heights this term, though, as he has created ten ‘big chances’ and registered six assists in 25 appearances in the top-flight for the Reds.
One of the priorities in the summer transfer window, therefore, should be to find more creative players who can provide a spark on the pitch next season.
Liverpool could make bid to sign Ligue 1 star
One of Liverpool’s most inventive players of the past decade or so was Brazilian magician Roberto Firmino, who scored 111 goals and provided 76 assists in 362 games for the club.
The Brazil international was a joy to watch throughout his time at Anfield because he had incredible technical quality and a creative mind that allowed him to piece together attacks and set up chances for his teammates.
Now, the Premier League giants are reportedly looking at a player who could arrive at Anfield as Slot’s own version of Firmino next season.
According to L’Equipe, Liverpool are one of a number of clubs interested in a deal to sign Monaco attacking midfielder Maghnes Akliouche in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Paris Saint-Germain, Tottenham Hotspur, and Manchester United were all keen on a deal for the star last year, but were unwilling to pay his £60m valuation at the time.
Now, L’Equipe reports that the Reds are expected to table an offer for the French talent this year and that they could bid £43m to bring the attacker to England.
The outlet claims that Liverpool and PSG are both in the race to secure his services and that Monaco are willing to sanction a departure this time, but it remains to be seen if £43m will be enough to tempt them to cash in on him.
How Maghnes Akliouche can be Liverpool’s new Roberto Firmino
Before his move to Liverpool, Firmino only played nine of his 153 matches for Hoffenheim as a striker. He typically played as an attacking midfielder, right winger, or second striker for the German side.
Akliouche typically plays as an attacking midfielder or right winger for Monaco, starting 107 times in those two roles, but he has scored two goals in three games as a centre-forward for the French club.
Like Firmino, the France international could be transformed into a dynamic centre-forward for Liverpool, with experience of being a creative and inventive player in the number ten position and on the right wing.
|
Most assists in 24/25 Ligue 1 |
|
|---|---|
|
Player |
Assists |
|
Rayan Cherki |
11 |
|
Gaetan Perrin |
11 |
|
Maghnes Akliouche |
10 |
|
Bradley Barcola |
10 |
|
Moses Simon |
10 |
Akliouche was one of the most creative players in Ligue 1 in the 2024/25 campaign, creating 15 ‘big chances’ and providing ten assists, and only managed one fewer assist than Rayan Cherki.
The French star has since gone on to shine in the Premier League with Manchester City, scoring ten goals and assisting a further 15 this season, which suggests that the Monaco talent could follow in his footsteps.
Liverpool’s £43m transfer target, dubbed “ridiculous” by scout Ben Mattinson, has showcased his inventive mind as both a scorer and a creator of goals for Monaco in the past two seasons, scoring 14 goals and providing 22 assists in all competitions.
He has created 37 ‘big chances’ in all competitions since the start of the 2024/25 campaign, a tally only Salah (52) can better for Liverpool, which suggests that he could be exactly what Liverpool need to brighten up their attack.
With Salah on his way out in the summer, the Reds need players who can open up the opposition’s defence and provide moments of magic in the final third, and Akliouche is that kind of player.
The 24-year-old wizard could be the perfect signing for Liverpool, therefore, because he could offer a threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals and provide the kind of invention in central areas that the club have lacked since Firmino moved on from Anfield.
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