Your Liverpool morning digest for Tuesday, May 31.
Thiago Alcantara might have just shown potential Sadio Mane replacement at Liverpool
Liverpool seemed to sidestep their established criteria in 2020 by investing in the services of Thiago Alcantara, who had just won the Champions League with Bayern Munich at the age of 29.
The champions of Germany had one of the best midfielders in the world on their books, but Klopp managed to convince him to embrace a fresh challenge as a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum.
Since, Thiago has helped Liverpool evolve in the middle of the park by offering what no other player does. Although the Reds made the rare decision to bypass their transfer policy at the time, the club almost certainly has no regrets.
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With Thiago's offbeat transfer in mind, a new recruitment problem has emerged for the club to solve. Klopp wants his team to improve again next year, but they now appear set to lose Sadio Mane.
After spending his prime years of performance at Anfield, the Senegalese international is eager for a new challenge.
As a result of the undeniable impact of Mane when he's on the pitch, Liverpool might explore the possibility of replacing him with a fellow elite performer, rather than an unpolished gem which would fit with the theme of their usual scouting policy.
Curious links have emerged linking the club with Son Heung-min, Harry Kane and Kylian Mbappe in recent weeks and their names could offer an insight into what Liverpool want from their Mane replacement.
Rather than being a player from Hoffenheim, Southampton or Roma, it is reasonable to suggest Mane's heir will be a fellow star who is already accustomed to competing for the grandest prizes.
With Luis Diaz and Fabio Carvalho added to Liverpool's attack ahead of next season, the average age of the squad has already dropped, meaning their next offensive capture could be a few years older than normal, like Thiago was when he travelled to Merseyside as a 29 year-old in 2020.
Read the story in full HERE.
'I can confirm' - Man City speak out on summer transfer plan
Manchester City chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak has warned Pep Guardiola's side still have plans to further improve the first-team squad following their signing of Erling Haaland.
It was confirmed earlier this month the Sky Blues had secured a £51m deal to secure the services of the sought-after forward, whose rapid rise has continued as a player has continued at Borussia Dortmund over the last two years. City also signed highly-rated striker Julian Alvarez in January, who is now set to join up with his team-mates having spent the second half of the 2021/22 on loan at River Plate.
The Sky Blues have been lacking a killer instinct within the final third at times this season and will have hopes these two additions can help bring home a third consecutive Premier League title. Liverpool, meanwhile, have recruited Fulham midfielder Fabio Carvalho and could make improvements in other areas of the squad as Jurgen Klopp's men look to rival City again.
Liverpool can expect strong competition from their main competitors during the 2022/23 campaign, with the champions' chairman making clear that they are still assessing their options in the transfer market and are anticipating 'a couple more' players to arrive at the Etihad Stadium.
“I can confirm that there will be more players coming in," Al Mubarak told mancity.com. "We are looking to strengthen the team in the areas that we need strengthening. Every season some players leave and then we have to continuously refresh the team.
“Again, we will always look at improving and strengthening. I think we’ve made two very important additions already, but I anticipate we’ll be doing a couple more. We’ll try to go as fast as we can, but you know how the market goes. It’s not always entirely in our control.”
Read the story in full HERE.
