Liverpool are going to win the Premier League. However, the charged feeling about FSG’s transfer window preparations makes a firm comment on the view toward the wider campaign.
Exiting the Champions League against Paris Saint-Germain in the round-of-16 was a bitter pill to swallow, and the following defeat at Wembley to hand the Carabao Cup over to Newcastle United was more distasteful still.
PSG deserved to win against Arne Slot’s side, and so did the Magpies. However, the Reds will no doubt be frustrated that they failed to get those jobs done.
Liverpool need to reinforce the fringes of their first-team squad this summer, need to pack Slot’s team with more quality and depth across the park.
One of the priorities heading into the off-season is replacing Darwin Nunez at the front of the ship, but with Trent Alexander-Arnold set to leave Anfield and join Real Madrid, more midfield creativity should be targeted too.
Liverpool need more midfield spark
Make no mistake, Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch have been immense across the 2024/25 campaign, combining to lead Liverpool to the brink of a Premier League title, a job they will surely see over the line.
But autumn will arrive with a new footballing season and it’s crucial that tweaks are made to prepare Slot’s side for an expected title defence.
As you can see from the table below, Liverpool players are nowhere to be seen on the most amount of big chances created from Premier League centre-midfielders this season.
1.
Cole Palmer
20
2.
Declan Rice
16
3.
Youri Tielemans
15
4.
Bruno Fernandes
13
5.
Enzo Fernandez
12
5=
Bruno Guimaraes
12
7.
Mikkel Damsgaard
11
8.
Martin Odegaard
10
In fact, you’d have to trawl down to 12th to find Liverpool’s most creative midfielder: Szoboszlai, with nine big chances created. With Trent leaving, Mohamed Salah may well be tasked with upholding his enhanced creative virtues next year.
It’s times like these you wish Liverpool still had an attacking midfielder in the vein of Philippe Coutinho, the little magician, the brightest spark in a pre-Klopp world and the financial architect of Liverpool’s ultimate success of modern times.
However, goalscoring is still the Egyptian’s forte, and FSG would be wise to pack some more flair into their central ranks.
Liverpool make contact with new playmaker
Liverpool are set to spend, alright, and sporting director Richard Hughes seems to be putting out feelers to ascertain whether RB Leipzig would entertain the sale of Xavi Simons this summer.
That’s according to transfer insider Duncan Castles, who has revealed on the Transfers Podcast that Liverpool have enquired over Simons’ availability ahead of the summer market.
Simons, only 21, is one of the most exciting young playmakers around and would command a £60m fee for Leipzig, who are fourth in the Bundesliga, to agree to part with him.
Why Liverpool must sign Xavi Simons
Simons would join a strong Dutch contingent on Merseyside that has demonstrated a knack for winning trophies over the past few seasons.
Adding his own brand of creativity, it could be just what Slot needs to consolidate his new-found elite status and win more silverware during the 2025/26 season and beyond.
Leipzig signed Simons from PSG last year for a €50m (£43m) fee after a productive initial loan spell. So far, he’s doing good, having been involved in 41 goals across 72 games for the German outfit.
As per FBref, Simons ranks among the top 12% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe’s top five leagues for passes attempted, the top 11% for progressive passes and the top 18% for shot-creating actions per 90, emphasising the ball-playing ability that Liverpool would claim.
Shot-creating actions are pieces of play that lead to a shot. These include moments such as a pass, take-on or foul being drawn.
His data’s great, but watching Simons play should be enough by itself for Liverpool fans to subscribe to the notion of bringing him into the fold.
Silky and artful in his playmaking, the diminutive ace might prove to be Anfield’s next version of Coutinho, whose £142m sale to Barcelona at the start of Klopp’s reign acted as the spark to raise the team to the next level, for Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker were then brought in.
In his pomp, Coutinho was one of the best number tens in the world, commanding, influential and inventive. In Simons, Liverpool could finally return to the style of play before the Brazilian made the move to Spain, when he charged the Reds’ deadly frontline.
Looking at Coutinho’s statistics during that final half-campaign with Liverpool, you can see the similarities with Simons, both elite-level creators who aren’t afraid to get stuck in and drive the ball forward themselves.
Matches (starts)
14 (13)
21 (21)
Goals
7
9
Assists
6
5
Shots (on target)*
3.9 (1.2)
1.9 (0.9)
Pass completion
79%
84%
Key passes*
2.9
2.2
Dribbles*
2.8
1.3
Tackles*
1.9
1.5
Duels won*
5.6
5.4
While Slot won’t want to disrupt the harmony of Liverpool’s midfield trio, it’s clear that something different needs to be added to the mix, and there’s no one in the centre of the park currently who’s quite like Coutinho.
Described as a “superstar” in the making by analyst Ben Mattinson, Simons has all the properties needed to serve at an elite level as Liverpool’s new creative force.
With Alexander-Arnold leaving, there’s going to be a vacant spot for such a playmaker, one who could dynamise the midfield and add that bit of depth needed to truly unlock another layer to this wonderful Liverpool team.
Worth more than Huijsen: Slot has hit the jackpot on Liverpool "monster"
Liverpool hope to employ this star for many years to come.
ByAngus Sinclair Apr 18, 2025
