Liverpool Transfer Links

[faridtoxteth]

Apart from the fact that Diaz is 28 and Rodrygo I think 24, Rodrygo can play every position across the front line and maybe even a 10. Think he feels like he has something to prove as well.
And frankly it just looks like Diaz wants to go.

[Insidious]

Sid, as a semi cheap stop gap I actually wouldn’t mind Mateta.

The best finishers in the Premier League last season in terms of goal conversions:

🥇 Alexander Isak (25%)
🥈 Bryan Mbeumo (24.39%)
🥉 Jean-Philippe Mateta (23.3%)

Nor me - especially if the fee was £50m or less.

Isak has 23-in-34 and 21-in-30 in the League in the last couple of seasons, so he's scoring more than Mateta in the League, but it's 7-9 goals more if we're taking his best season (23) versus the 14+16 of Mateta.

If I thought we could get the more injury-resilient Mateta in and (let's pretend he starts up top) he could get that 14-16 up to 17-19, you're looking at getting most of Isak's goal return, for about a third of the price Newcastle want, with seemingly more robustness.

It's not a guarantee - nothing is - but from a risk v reward perspective I don't think it's the worst option to consider. Not my first choice to go for a player of his age, but if it's a stop-gap for a season or two until we can identify a younger target that's available for slightly less silly money than some of the fees that will be happening......yeah, I could be on board.

I’d rather keep Diaz than sign Rodrygo

Besides my general fondness for bringing the average squad age down, there's something really appealing about the idea of players on one side of the pitch (be it wide forward, full-back, the left half-space or the 8 biased towards the left) all being younger so their on-pitch chemistry can grow over the years and become more automated.

Gakpo - 26
Mac Allister - 26
Rodrygo - 24
Wirtz - 22
Kerkez - 21

It'd be really great to see what could grow there with those lads available.