It will not be an exaggeration if we say that it is all falling apart for Liverpool at this moment. With Jurgen Klopp in his first full season at the club, there was widespread enthusiasm and a sense of excitement amongst the fans. The former Dortmund coach was getting his first transfer window and with basically just the Premier League to focus on, he got a chance to mould the squad to his liking.
The start was fantastic. They got off to a flier, scoring 4 past an Arsenal side at the Emirates and the signs were there for all to see. Liverpool were drilled into a terrific attacking outfit and the plethora of attacking talent in the final third was completely in sync with each other. They weren’t the most comfortable defensively but the sheer attacking might overshadowed the other inadequacies.
Liverpool looked like the only team that seemed capable of challenging Chelsea’s dominance at the summit. But as we come into the second half of the season, it is the same old story for the Reds. Their reluctance to seek reinforcements in the transfer windows especially to bolster the depth of the squad and the avenues of a plan B has hurt them.
With Coutinho getting injured and then Mane subsequently going off to the AFCON, they were shorn of their two most crucial players and the results are there for all to see.
Klopp has managed to notch up a solitary win this year in 8 attempts with the win coming against lowly Plymouth in a replay. They have lost to Swansea, Wolves and Southampton at home and although Mane will be making a comeback after Senegal crashed out of the AFCON, there is a great deal yet to be fixed at Anfield.
And even the stubborn Jurgen Klopp seems to admit that. According to reports, Liverpool are supposedly intent on finalising a deal for Roma midfielder Leandro Paredes.
The Argentine midfielder is no longer the first choice under boss Luciano Spalletti who has changed the system at the Stadio Della Roma. The Reds are set to launch a £22.5million bid with an extra £4million worth of bonuses to secure the 22-year-old’s signature. The club hopes the new signing will lift the morale of the group and along with the return of Sadio Mane, will give them enough ammunition to take on the horrid run of home games coming up.
The midfielder started his career playing for Boca Juniors and after four successful seasons, he moved to Italy. While in Italy, he had a couple of loan spells with Empoli and Chievo also.
With Emre Can failing to impress, he can be a direct replacement for the German and although they have slight dissimilarities, Paredes will surely be step-up after the German’s inconsistent displays.
