Con: Waiting too long to pull off a possible bargain
When I had first written about the possibility of Antonee Robinson being brought to the club in the January window, his price tag sat right around €20 million; a little over a month later, he’s starting to push the 30 million barrier.
Signing a left back in January seemed like a sensible move given the overall subpar season Andy Robertson has had, but with each matchweek that passes, it seems that Robinson’s value is only going to increase.
I admired Hughes’ aggressiveness to bring Chiesa aboard for an extremely low fee of £10 million in August, despite concerns other clubs may have had about his injury record.
But to me, a perfect reinforcement at the fullback position was ripe for the picking, showing his incredible vision and ball skills when he bagged two assists in in a 2-2 draw against the Reds at Anfield.
Robinson now sits in double digit figures for assists on the year after playing a crucial role in Fulham’s 2-1 victory over Newcastle, who were one of the most in form teams in the league coming into this fixture.
The American also possesses an immense work rate, topping the Premier League in total minutes played.
Did Liverpool wait too long to bring in a talented player they may find to be too expensive come summer?
Pro: Letting the rest of the season unfold to scout talent
On the other hand, while I think the club may have waited too long to make a move for Robinson, Liverpool’s scouting team now has the advantage of observing how transfer targets perform for the rest of the season, ensuring they maintain the form that initially caught their attention in the first place.
Robinson has been recognized as a great talent at both the club and national team levels for some time now, but another fullback linked to Liverpool, Milos Kerkez, is currently enjoying a breakout season with Bournemouth.
At just 21 years old, Kerkez possesses a strong blend of attacking and defensive prowess, helping to propel Bournemouth to their best first half to a season in club history.
Kerkez also plays for the Hungarian national team alongside Dominik Szoboszlai, who could take the youngster under the wing to quickly teach him the Liverpool way.
However, unlike Robinson who shone at Anfield against his potential suitors, Kerkez did not play a major factor in Bournemouth’s 2-0 loss to Liverpool, as the Reds snapped their run of 11 league games unbeaten.
Not many could have predicted the Cherries to be playing at the level they currently are, but can their strong standing in the league and Kerkez’s run of form be carried into the second half of the season to prove his worth?
Con: Leaving the pressure on Salah to produce up front
Mo Salah. What else is there to say about the man?
His brace fired Liverpool to a 2-0 win against Bournemouth, now moving him up to sixth on the Premier League’s all-time goal scoring list and further bringing his G/A tally on the season to 42; he does it all and more for his club.
Despite Liverpool leading the list of most team goals scored in the league this season, Salah is largely responsible for that mark himself.
Liverpool’s next best goalscorers, Luis Díaz and Cody Gakpo have eight league goals apiece, but neither come close to touching Salah’s 21 and sit outside the league’s top 10 scorers.
Salah accounting for nearly 40% of his club’s goals is simply mad, but Liverpool could have very well brought in in another winger to shake up their play and take the brunt of responsibility off the Egyptian King.
Manchester City’s €70 million signing of Omar Marmoush may have understandably been beyond Liverpool’s budget, but Feyenoord’s Anis Hadj-Moussa was reportedly on their radar. With his ties to Slot’s former club and an inexpensive price tag of just €12 million, he could have been a fine addition to strengthen the wings.
Given Salah’s expected role as the primary goalscorer and his uncertain future at the club, might Liverpool have benefited from taking less off of his plate?