Liverpool are pushing hard in the Premier League this season, determined to crown the Arne Slot era with a title.
One of the glowing markers of a league-winning team is their ability to find different ways to win. Against Brentford last weekend, Liverpool left it late but displayed their power in adversity, finding a way to win through Darwin Nunez’s emphatic off-the-bench double.
It was a slice of much-needed respite for the Uruguay striker, whose time on Merseyside has been turbulent. Poor finishing and a diminished role and output under Slot this term have given rise to rumours of his exit, with some reports even suggesting that Michael Edwards has recently rejected a mammoth bid from the Saudi Pro League.
Despite joining for a club-record fee (rising to £85m), Nunez has struggled to prove himself among Europe’s elite centre-forwards. This hasn’t been detrimental, per se. Not as far as the team as a whole is concerned.
But Liverpool have gone some time now without a world-class number nine. The dreamy days of Luis Suarez, to be sure, feel a long time ago.
Luis Suarez's iconic Liverpool career
Suarez was a monster for Liverpool, signing for a £22m fee in January 2011, departing Ajax. Now in the twilight phase of his career, Suarez is widely regarded as one of the finest forwards of his generation.
While the real riches of his storied career came with Barcelona, the 37-year-old scored 82 goals and supplied 31 assists across 133 appearances for Liverpool, notably hitting 31 Premier League goals during an incredible 2013/14 campaign.
He was an immense player, one of Liverpool’s greatest in the modern era. Replacing him was always going to be an insurmountable task and indeed one that saw Brendan Rodgers’ tenure fall by the wayside.
1.
Erling Haaland (22/23)
Man City
35
36
2.
Mohamed Salah (17/18)
Liverpool
36
32
3=
Luis Suarez (13/14)
Liverpool
33
31
3=
Cristiano Ronaldo (07/08)
Man United
34
31
3=
Alan Shearer (95/96)
Blackburn
35
31
Then Jurgen Klopp came along, and free-scoring number nines seemed to become less of a prized commodity on Merseyside. The red half, anyway.
With Roberto Firmino warping the middle of the pitch, bending it and twisting it to facilitate Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool enjoyed incredible success with a unique and fluent frontline, one of Europe’s most iconic.
But Klopp’s gone now, and he’s not coming back. Slot’s start to life in his place has attenuated the blow and then some, to be fair, with Liverpool firm favourites for the 2024/25 Premier League title and in with a shout for the Champions League and both domestic cups too.
Liverpool would do well to replace Nunez with a centre-forward capable of emulating, or at least mimicking, Suarez’s surreal goalscoring success in the Premier League, especially now that Liverpool’s attacking system has been tweaked.
Transfer Focus
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Liverpool eyeing Nunez replacement
According to Fussball News – via Sport Witness – Liverpool are still interested in signing Greek striker Stefanos Tzimas following reports of their intrigue last week. In fact, it’s claimed that their pursuit of the prospect is ‘very hot’ amid ongoing talks with the player’s agent.
Nurnberg in the Bundesliga 2. are set to sign PAOK’s talent at the end of the season after he completes his loan spell, however, the German side will look to turn an instant profit and could allow him to move to Anfield for €30m (£25m), an affordable figure for FSG and especially so if Nunez departs.
However, with a host of rivals including Chelsea also eager to sign the 19-year-old, sporting director Richard Hughes might want to move quickly.
What Stefanos Tzimas would bring to Liverpool
Tzimas has only been around for a short while but he’s been riding the crest of a wave in Germany this season, having proved himself as a prolific forward with the athleticism to match.
The teenager – who is bursting onto the scene at a young age in a way akin to Suarez – has scored nine goals and added two assists across 19 league fixtures this season, only starting 11 of those matches.
As per Sofascore, he’s also only missed 11 big chances in front of goal, averaging 1.5 dribbles and 4.1 successful duels per game. What does this actually mean? Well, it proves that Tzimas has the progressiveness to excel as a top-class player down the line, also combative in his efforts, eager to get stuck in and help his side outside of shooting sequences.
Described as a “natural-born killer” and a “monster in the making” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Tzimas has the world at his feet and could even prove to be Liverpool’s most talented striker since the aforementioned Suarez in front of goal.
Firmino might be an iconic figure for his fleet-footed, silky style in the final third, but he was never the kind of goalscoring expert that the Greece U21 international bears the signs of becoming.
As per FBref, he actually ranks among the top 18% of centre-forwards across divisions similar to the Bundesliga 2. for tackles per 90, as well as the top 1% for progressive carries and successful take-ons per 90, illuminating that Suarez-like quality to beat a man and wreak havoc in the final third.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Therefore, Tzimas has that natural completeness that could see him provide relief across different zones for Slot’s side, all the while progressing play with blistering speed, weaving into the danger area and bypassing hapless goalkeepers.
Suarez is the best out-and-out striker that Liverpool have had in the modern era, and while Nunez will want to prove himself over the coming months of the 2024/25 campaign, Tzimas is only at the nascent stage of his development and could become a world beater under Slot’s wing.
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