Michael Edwards ready to agree remarkable €40m transfer
· Yahoo Sports
Michael Edwards is now lining up a remarkable deal for Liverpool.
The next step in the club's recruitment will be to sign a winger.
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There is no question about that. Even without Mo Salah's departure, the Reds are lacking in that department.
Despite being one of the most dangerous forward lines in Europe last season, the Reds arguably lack a true, touchline-hugging winger.
Mohamed Salah and Cody Gakpo, while often deployed in wide positions on paper, are not traditional wingers in the classic sense. Both prefer to drift infield, operating as inside forwards who attack central spaces, combine in tight areas, and look to finish moves rather than stretch the pitch horizontally.
This tendency naturally narrows Liverpool’s attacking shape. Without players consistently holding width, opposition defenses can stay compact and limit the space available for Liverpool’s creators.
At present, Rio Ngumoha stands out as the only player in the squad who profiles as a more traditional winger. He is comfortable staying wide, taking on defenders on the outside, and delivering from the byline. However, Liverpool should not have to rely on a 17-year-old.
But you can't rely on Ngumoha alone.
In the post Salah era, Liverpool are going to need to change how their wingers operate. Under Jurgen Klopp, the Reds often played with a false no.9 in Roberto Firmino who dropped deep and helped to create chances for the inside-forwards Salah and Sadio Mane.
This was a tactical approach that worked but now that front three will be gone.
Liverpool are entering a new era, where they are going to have to pursue a different approach. In Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike they have two forwards who like to be inside the box and who need to be fed chances rather than a creator like Firmino.
So, this means Liverpool can't also now have the same type of winger.
Slot's system or anyone's system for that matter will need the wingers to operate in a different way in order to accommodate Isak and Ekitike.
Edwards, who spearheads the recruitment will have recognised that what Liverpool need is a winger who facilitates the strikers and who creates chances for them.
And it's why SportsBild as per GFNG are now reporting that Liverpool want to sign Bazoumana Toure.
He's 20-years-old and reportedly available for €40m, which is a remarkably low fee considering the young Ivorian is not only one of the fastest players in the Bundesliga but one of the best at creating chances.
He's got 11 assists for Hoffenheim this season, which puts him in fourth place overall in the Bundesliga charts - only Michael Olise and Luis Diaz have registered more assists than him among wingers.
Toure is not your typical attacking winger. He loves to cut-back, play passes across the penalty area and put crosses into the box.
For the kind of fee Hoffenheim want for him and the exciting player that he is, this would be a remarkable deal for Liverpool.