Let’s begin by admitting something: there was an element of anxiety around Arne Slot‘s introduction to life as Liverpool boss. Stepping into Jurgen Klopp‘s shoes was always going to be a daunting task and history suggests that some would struggle to build upon the strong foundations.
But Slot isn’t any head coach and was picked by FSG‘s Michael Edwards to succeed the legendary German given the ticked boxes around his tactical nous and interpersonal skills, two facets that have been salient across the opening three months of his Liverpool reign.
Liverpool are discernibly more composed on the ball, more eager to retain possession, sapping opponents’ energy and confidence through purposeful passing play and suffocating transitions.
The September international break trundles on but Reds supporters will be itching to see their high-flying team back in action, having won all three of their opening Premier League matches, yet to concede a goal and most recently putting Manchester United to the sword at Old Trafford.
All this without really making any significant moves in the transfer market. Slot’s first-team squad is brimming with talent, and the primary objective is to tie three key figures down to new deals.
Why Liverpool need to keep hold of Virgil van Dijk
As you’ve probably heard, Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mo Salah are all out of contract at the end of the season, with their unresolved contractual situations striking more than a measure of trepidation into the hearts of supporters.
Liverpool might not have welcomed hordes of world-renowned superstars to the squad but plenty has gone on at Anfield. A host of squad players have been sold or loaned out to unclutter and streamline a talented team eyeing silverware, and now Edwards and Richard Hughes are going to work on the aforementioned issues.
Salah looks the most likely to pen new terms at this stage, with negotiations forthcoming and the Reds reportedly doing everything within their power to extend the Egyptian’s £350k-per-week contract.
All is quiet on the Van Dijk front. The Netherlands and Liverpool captain has been one of the most influential players in Europe since signing for Liverpool from Southampton in a £75m move in January 2018, and though he’s now 33, is still performing at an obscene level.
His aerial dominance, ball-playing skills and leadership quality are elements known by all, but the fact that the Dutchman still ranks among the top 7% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for carries (57.79) per 90, as per FBref, suggests that his athleticism and robustness remain at an impressive standard.
Van Dijk has conquered all of Europe in Liverpool red, but is he going to stop? It’s an anxious wait but the hope is that he extends and continues to add security and authority from the back, stretching his influence across every area of the park.
Tying him down to a contract extension, alongside Alexander-Arnold and Salah, is imperative, and fans will hope to see some positivity on that front after a low-key summer.
That said, Liverpool did sign Federico Chiesa, and that might turn out to be a masterful addition.
Why Liverpool signed Federico Chiesa
Before the summer market opened for business, most of a Liverpool persuasion would have expected to see the backline strengthened with a new centre-back and, perhaps, FSG enforce the signing of an upgrade on Wataru Endo, who was signed as a stopgap from Stuttgart last summer for £16m.
Landing Chiesa, an out-of-favour and injury-prone winger from Juventus, was probably not envisaged, but let’s steer away from surface-level stuff and look at why the Reds opted to make this move.
Chiesa, injuries aside, is one of Europe’s most talented wide forwards, with technical sharpness, multi-angled creativity and positional flexibility that led journalist Zach Lowy to hail him as “absolutely world-class” after his performances at Euro 2020 with Italy, crucial in his nation’s golden triumph.
But he’s suffered ACL blows that have knocked his growth since. Despite this, the 26-year-old enjoyed something of a resurgence with Juventus last season, starting 26 Serie A matches and scoring nine goals.
Moreover, he ranks among the top 1% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions and the top 3% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref, underscoring the kind of shuttling playmaker Liverpool have got their mitts on.
Did we mention the transfer fee? My, my, if Chiesa can keep the chatter around his name fixed to on-pitch stuff, there’s no question that Edwards has done it again and that Liverpool might just have hit the jackpot.
Liverpool have already hit the jackpot on Federico Chiesa
On August 29, 2024, Liverpool announced the signing of Chiesa from Italian giants Juventus. The figure was reported to stand at just £10m, stretching to £12.5m upon the meeting of feasible clauses.
This is quite a shrewd sum, even if the Italy international had stepped into the final year of his contract in Turin. Earning £150k per week, he’s among the higher-paid earners at the Merseyside outfit, but this is warranted, for he could prove to be an invaluable presence in Slot’s squad if he (you guessed it) keeps the lengthy layoffs away.
And anyway, as per Transfermarkt, Chiesa is already considered to be worth £30m, over half of what Liverpool paid. Moreover, the site records that he was worth £59m in December 2021, before a ruinous period on the sidelines – perhaps he could resurrect something along those lines at Liverpool.
Market Movers
Football FanCast’s Market Movers series explores the worldwide astronomical rises and falls of player transfer values.
£30m, for example, means that he is already worth more than Van Dijk (recorded to have a market value of £26m), who might be approaching the end of his deal at Liverpool but is still one of the best players in the world – should a new deal fail to materialise, there will be no shortage of high-profile suitors in line.
Fans have little more time to wait until Chiesa gracing the Anfield pitch, in line to make his debut in the Premier League against Nottingham Forest this coming weekend, and if he hits the ground running and sustains an impressive purple patch, he might just restore his erstwhile position among Europe’s most valuable forwards.
