FANS and pundits alike were already plotting how Timo Werner would fit into Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool team. Many saw the move as nailed on, with the Reds tracking the RB Leipzig striker for the majority of last season. Werner himself was open in his desire to play for Klopp, only adding to the sense of inevitability that he would pitch up at Anfield this summer.
Of course, we now know that Liverpool would ultimately pull back in their pursuit of the German international, allowing Chelsea to activate Werner’s £47.5 million release clause. The 24-year-old is looking forward to a debut Premier League season, but it’s in blue rather than the red so many envisaged him in.
The signing of Werner would have added some much-needed depth to Liverpool’s attack. It is therefore surprising that having missed out on the German, deeming his asking price too steep in the current economic climate, the Premier League champions haven’t yet moved for a secondary target. They could, after all, still use another forward.
Liverpool’s frontline is arguably the best in the European game right now. The firepower of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah has been a major factor in the Reds’ success under Klopp, with the German building his entire team around the trio. Behind those three players, though, Liverpool are lacking, especially when compared to the attacking depth rivals like Manchester City and Chelsea boast.
Firmino, Mane and Salah have, by and large, managed to avoid serious injury over the last three seasons. When Firmino did miss a spell of the 2018/19 season, Liverpool got lucky in the way Divock Origi stepped up, making himself something of a cult hero by scoring a series of important goals. There was, however, always a sense Origi was playing above his natural level.
Klopp cannot count on Liverpool’s good fitness fortune to continue forever and the move for Werner appeared to be a recognising of this. The German would have been a good fit for the Anfield side, capable of playing from the left or through the middle. Whether as a depth option or as competition to Firmino, Mane and Salah, the signing of Werner would have made sense.
Just because Liverpool missed out on Werner doesn’t mean they still don’t need someone like him. The Premier League champions boast one of the best scouting networks in the European game. It has unearthed gems like Andy Robertson, signed not because he was a big name, but because he fulfilled a certain criteria. So why did Liverpool’s search for a new attacker end with Werner going to Chelsea? Why are they now focusing their transfer market efforts on Thiago Alcantara, a midfielder? Is that really a greater priority ahead of the new season?
There are potential options out there. Memphis Depay, for example, is reportedly available for €25 million this summer, with Barcelona believed to be interested. The Dutchman may have floundered at Manchester United, but has since flourished into a more rounded and adaptable forward for both Lyon and Netherlands. Adama Traore has also been mentioned as a possible target, although Wolves would surely demand a hefty fee for the Spain international.
Few clubs have navigated the transfer market better than Liverpool over the past few years, with very few missteps taken in recent times. Their failure to sign a new forward, however, could prove to be a rare error in judgement. It leaves the defending Premier League champions vulnerable to the forces of fortune and could even see them stagnate. Comfort is the enemy of progress and Liverpool still need a new forward to stop their front three from getting too comfortable.
