Liverpool Wants "one Of The Best Players In The World" For 25 Million Pounds

Liverpool have had a world-class attacking force for the best part of a decade, but a common theme throughout has been the absence of an outright playmaker in midfield.

Oh sure, Phil Coutinho made a mockery of the Premier League during that snapshot period in 2017 when he sat behind Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Bobby Firmino, but then made his way to Barcelona. for a staggering fee of £142 million at the halfway point of that season, proving to be a defining moment.

Philippe Coutinho: PL Statistics 17/18
Match statistics	#
Matches (starts)	14 (13)
Goals	7
Assists	6
Complete the pass	79%
Key Passes*	2.9
Dribbles*	2.8
Tickets*	1.2
Total duels won*	5.6
Statistics via sofa score (* = per game)

Currently, Harvey Elliott is fighting for a bigger role in the Slot team, while the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai starts most weeks, but is not really a game creator, in the true sense of the word.

Jurgen Klopp’s long reign was led by a workhorse midfield, with the overlapping full-backs creating from the flanks and the aforementioned front three working in a beautiful tandem to dismantle defences.

But Slot is no Klopp, and while his system bears some resemblance to its predecessor, some differences speak to the inclusion of a skilled central playmaker, tasked with the express purpose of creating and influencing the center, adding a dimension to this Liverpool, which already has many layers.

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Liverpool look at another striker

This talk of a dynamic new ten comes as reports have emerged that Liverpool have a strong interest in Lyon’s Rayan Cherki, who has been in dazzling form for the Ligue 1 side this season.

It feels very FSG to be pushing to add another talented striker to Liverpool’s stacked ranks when other areas of the pitch are clearly demanding attention, but then who can blame them when Cherki is available for such a nominal fee?

According to the French media Foot MercatoLiverpool are pushing to sign 21-year-old Cherki in a stunning January transfer. The talented Frenchman is hired until June 2026 and could therefore be available for just €30m (£25m).

Paris Saint-Germain are also interested and it could be attractive to stay in your homeland with the division’s dominant team, but Liverpool are one of the best teams in Europe at the moment and playing within such a thriving attack could dominate.

Sky Germany have previously revealed that a winter transfer cannot be ruled out, so Liverpool may now be forced to act on their intrigue and prevent any rival from laying claim to one of the generation’s great young playmakers.

What Rayan Cherki would bring to Liverpool

Liverpool’s attack is truly stacked, and there is some truth behind the arguments that transfer energy is best directed elsewhere, with the only signing of the summer being the arrival of Federico Chiesa for 12.5 million pounds of Juventus, whose impact has been minimal.

But Cherki would not quite fit into this group, instead being veiled by a roving occupation that would see him work between the lines, flitting between attacking midfield and the wide area that Salah normally covers. However, it is not the same as the Egyptian.

Lyon have not been brilliant this season, but Cherki has been in good form. scoring five goals and seven assists in 17 games in all competitions. However, it is not really his performance that earns him his stripes, but rather his agile and dexterous talent.

In fact, Frank Lebouef, former Chelsea star He’s already praised the prospect as “one of the best players on earth” when talking about his tricks and skills, and given that he’s stylistically similar to Cole Palmer, maybe there’s something to that comment.

Palmer is a playmaker at heart, but the Chelsea superstar has been transcendent in his performances and can’t really be defined through his positioning.

Palmer, still only 22 years old, is widely regarded as one of the best players in the Premier League and has scored 57 goals in 63 games since he left Manchester City for Chelsea in a £42.5m move.

An attacking midfielder with artistic license to do whatever he wants, something those select few world champions have around the world, Palmer is the poster child for the Premier League, and Liverpool could now secure their own version in Cherki, with a site based in data. FBref records the pair as statistically comparable players.

Cole Palmer vs. Rayan Cherki (last 365 days)
Statistics (per 90)	palmer	Cherky
Goals	0.80	0.31
Assists	0.56	0.62
Shot Creation Actions	5.91	7.28
Progressive passes	6.44	8.67
progressive carries	3.86	4.80
Successful assumptions	1.66	4.39
Ball recoveries	3.27	5.37
Statistics via FBref

It’s a testament to Cherki’s athleticism and consistency in his ballgame performance that he outperforms Palmer in a variety of relevant metrics. Of course, he still doesn’t have the same blatant disdain for goalkeepers, but he keeps working, keeps working.

However, it bodes well for Cherki’s chances of success at Slot’s Liverpool, as the Dutch tactician demands hard work and commitment to the cause, and the French ace is displaying qualities that seem tailor-made for that style.

Whether the right-back midfielder would be fit for purpose as Salah’s long-term successor is an open question at the moment, but Liverpool would do well to move forward and secure his signature before other suitors beat them to it.

Who knows, maybe Slot will create his own Palmer-esque sensation out of the mercurial talent.