LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - NOVEMBER 01: Daniel Sturridge of Liverpool celebrates scoring his sides third goal during the UEFA Champions League group E match between Liverpool FC and NK Maribor at Anfield on November 1, 2017 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
Liverpool willing to offload talented striker in order to bring in top forward
Jürgen Klopp is intending to upgrade his front line in the January transfer window.
According to reports, Klopp is willing to offload Daniel Sturridge in order to bring in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. They already have plenty of pace among the forwards, but this acquisition would make them even more dangerous. It would boost their high pressing and counter-attacking significantly. Aubameyang is a completely different offensive weapon to Roberto Firmino, so it would give Klopp a variety of options.
Aubameyang would add to their goalscoring threat because he has already scored 17 goals in 19 games this season. Klopp would be able to rotate through his options to keep them fresh through the season.
It would also give him the possibility of fielding Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Aubameyang for the big games. That’s a deadly front three which most teams would struggle to deal with because of the shared goal threat between them.
This is a pivotal moment for Liverpool in two respects. Sturridge has been constantly battling injuries during his time at the club. Liverpool have been remarkably patient with him partially because of his exploits in the 2013/14 Premier League season. However, it seems like Klopp and the club have finally accepted that he can’t stay injury-free.
The other reason this is an important point for the Reds is because of Aubameyang’s reputation. He is a top forward so bringing him in and Naby Keïta would be an important status marker. It would also be a testament to the influence of Klopp in bringing players from the Bundesliga to Liverpool. This would affect them positively in the future when chasing other targets because players naturally want to play with others who are of a similar quality to them.
Other areas
Bringing in the Gabonese striker would obviously be exciting for supporters, but there are other areas in the squad which need improvement. They desperately need an intelligent controller at the base of midfield. Jordan Henderson isn’t good enough for the role, and this can be seen when facing strong opposition such as the games against Sevilla. His inability to fully control the game leads to gaps opening which is exacerbated by Klopp’s preferred style of play.
The Reds also need a top defender who excels in 1v1s. Gegenpressing leaves plenty of space for the opposition to exploit if they can get around the press. The defence, and the centre-backs in particular, are likely to be left in dangerous situations with little help every so often. Therefore, a centre-back who excels in these specific individual scenarios would be ideal.
