Liverpool were beaten to a prolific alternative to Diogo Jota.
The move for the former Wolves forward came out of nowhere, but that doesn’t mean sporting director Michael Edwards didn’t have plenty of irons in the fire.
We know one of those is Watford star Ismaila Sarr, and he may or may not be moving to Anfield; depending on who you read.
Sarr has been linked with a move to Liverpool all summer long and some reports indicate that deal might not be as dead as we think.
Liverpool have got a vast scouting network as well as incredibly knowledgable staff, which was important in getting the mov for Jota done. Jurgen Klopp’s assistant Pep Lijnders gave the Portuguese forward glowing reviews and the deal was done.
It could have all been so different had Jonathon David not joined Lille. The Athletic reported that the Canadian international was on Edwards’ shortlist but then took off for Ligue 1 instead.
He scored 37 goals and assisted 15 in 83 appearances for Gent, but is yet to get off the mark in France after four games.
2019/2020 was particularly successful for David, who hit the back of the net 23 times in all competitions – including three goals in seven Europa League games.
He is a versatile player, although in a different way to what we might think when we hear that phrase. The Canadian has played through the middle in a variety of different roles, from attacking midfielder to shadow striker to centre-forward.
His arrival would have put Takumi Minamino out of place but would have increased competition for Roberto Firmino – something the side lacks at the moment.
It’s an interesting insight into the way the scouting department operates, and it seems like we missed out on this deal because Lille sold Victor Osimhen to Napoli and had the cash to bring in a replacement straight away.
Liverpool had to wait, but with Diogo Jota they have a player they can’t be disappointed with.