The 2024/25 Premier League campaign is nigh, but come Saturday's fixture, Liverpool will not have strengthened the squad that won the Carabao Cup but fumbled larger prizes last year.
Arne Slot's Jurgen-Klopp-successor role as the Anfield guv'nor has been billed as near impossible, but an impressive pre-season will attest to his tactical acumen, with players gushing over the style. There is, however, more than a measure of grumbling over the lack of transfer activity.
Preston North End
19/07/2024
1-0 loss
Real Betis
27/07/2024
1-0 win
Arsenal
01/08/2024
2-1 win
Man United
04/08/2024
3-0 win
Sevilla
11/08/2024
4-1 win
Las Palmas
11/08/2024
0-0 draw
While it might feel that way, Liverpool are not on a shoestring budget. Perhaps the top brass are splitting hairs, concerned about signing the perfect player – it's him or no one, man. Let's hope that missing out on Martin Zubimendi does not result in a third barren summer window at the base of the midfield, ay.
Liverpool transfer news
According to transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are among the high-profile clubs to have been offered veteran midfielder Marco Verratti.
The maestro, aged 31, ended his illustrious career with Paris Saint-Germain one year ago and signed for Qatari club Al-Arabi in a €45m (£39m) deal, but may well be itching for a return to Europe, with intermediaries contacting teams such as Liverpool to discuss potentials.
FSG diverged from their established strategy in the past to sign an ageing Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich, recognising the unique market opportunity at the time. Verratti could follow suit – he's got the qualifications to succeed under Slot.
Why Verratti could be the best Zubimendi alternative
Last month, Anfield's new sporting director, Richard Hughes, spoke of a "crescendo" in the market, justifiably pointing out that Slot needed time to pump his tactics into the set-up before launching high-cost bids left, right and centre.
With two weeks remaining, that rising intensity is hardly going to raise the roof. Liverpool are working on signing talented goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia, though he would leave on loan right away.
A concerted effort to sign Zubimendi, 25, from Real Sociedad was made, but despite offering a superior financial package and Champions League football to boot, the Euro 2024 winner rejected yet another suitor to remain with his boyhood team.
Touching, but hardly what Liverpool want to hear. The interminable pursuit of a No. 6-type midfielder rages on, with rising concerns that the Merseysiders will refrain from signing competition to Wataru Endo – hey, the right guy's just not available, isn't that the line?
Verratti might not be the long-term solution, but if Liverpool truly feel that a player of Zubimendi's mould is not available, he could make a world of difference next season, plugging a gap and performing with the kind of dazzling gusto that Thiago sprinkled on Klopp's outfit, when fit, if fit.
PSG's joint-most decorated player in history (30 trophies, alongside Marquinhos), Verratti completed 461 appearances over 11 years, notching 11 goals and 61 assists from his sitting position, pulling the strings.
His one-time teammate Neymar Jr. had actually described him as a "genius" of a player, with his vision and understanding going far beyond the ability of the many.
His year on the Gulf has been lucrative indeed but perhaps doesn't offer the greatest yardstick for performance appraisal. The Qatar Stars League is simply not at the same level as the European top-five leagues, though he has showcased his skills in France and the Champions League for many, many years.
During the 2022/23 CL campaign, the former Italy international proved to be one of the top dogs regarding distribution, creativity and tackling, something that could bear dividends for Slot's Liverpool, instilling a newfound degree of emphasis on passing and control.
Pass completion
92.6%
Top 4%
Passes attempted
99.68
Top 1%
Progressive passes
6.50
Top 25%
Successful take-ons
1.59
Top 12%
Tackles
3.90
Top 4%
Blocks
1.88
Top 17%
Yes, gone are the days of Klopp's heavy-metal football, where chaos was wreaked through the fast-lane drives down the wing – overlap, outwork, outstrip, score. Liverpool will still carry hints of such a style but it is modified and rewritten to a new man's design.
Verratti, who earns £576k per week in Qatar, could be tailor-made for such a system. His penchant for elegant passing marks him as the perfect player to dictate the attacks that could become a trademark under Dutch leadership, breaking and carving defences open with surgical deliveries.
Might he perform at a higher level than Zubimendi, if welcomed this month? Perhaps. The Sociedad star is a very nicely rounded player, scoring four goals and assisting one more in La Liga last term, also completing 86% of his passes and averaging 0.5 key passes, 1.6 tackles and 5.5 ball recoveries per match, as per Sofascore.
He's even been hailed for his "world-class" quality by former teammate Kieran Tierney, but based on the statistical and historical evidence, Verratti may well be a higher power – for the year ahead, in any case.
After all, the Italian sensation was exceptional throughout his final campaign in the French top flight, completing 91% of his passes, averaging 1.1 key passes, 2.6 tackles and 7.2 ball recoveries per game and winning 58% of his contested duels.
This is the kind of presence that Liverpool need. Slot will not find the answer to his midfield conundrum in Endo, industrious as he may be. Moreover, Alexis Mac Allister prefers to play a looser role in the engine room and will not wish to serve as the first-choice anchor, not when he proved his "superstar" style when allowed to create and attack on goal, as noted by pundit Joe Cole.
For now, Liverpool supporters will wait. It doesn't look like Zubimendi will join the Reds this summer, despite every effort being exhausted. However, it would be a catastrophe to leave the no. 6 position as it is.
The fluency of Slot's exciting system might depend on the capture of such a specialist – while he wouldn't be the option for an age, Verratti could be the perfect stop-gap, should it come to that.
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ByDan Emery