
Spanish media outlet, El País, have reported that Jurgen Klopp refused three star forwards in favour of signing Darwin Núñez for £85m with add-ons. The three players named were Robert Lewandowski, Heung-min Son and Richarlison.
🥈| There were moves on the table for Robert Lewandowski, Heung-min Son and Richarlison this summer for Liverpool, but Jurgen Klopp “flatly refused” as he only wanted Darwin Nunez. [@el_pais] pic.twitter.com/chaoqrg7WE
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) September 10, 2022
It’s clear that Klopp is a huge admirer of Núñez, despite Miguel Delaney claiming that there is a realisation within the Liverpool camp that the decision to sell Mane is backfiring as they haven’t replaced him properly with the Uruguayan.
Liverpool’s record signing is young and has loads of potential to become world-class. But, would the aforementioned forwards have been better signings?
Robert Lewandowski
The Polish striker is certainly world-class, scoring eight goals in his first five appearances for FC Barcelona. He is definitely still at his best but is it really wise to sign a 34-year-old striker? It would be a fairytale to see the world-class striker reunite with the manager who propelled him to his success.
However, FSG is known for their long-term strategies and a player that age isn’t suited for that plan. He also signed for Barcelona for a reported wage of around €360,000 per week, which would make him the club’s highest earner. This type of signing would be great but it isn’t one that Liverpool are known for making.
Heung-ming Son
Klopp is a huge admirer of Son, praising him publicly a couple of times. Son is 30-years-old but could still have a few more world-class seasons in him. He was the joint top scorer in the league with Mohamed Salah, scoring 23 goals. The thought of having two Premier League top scorers in the team at the same time again is appealing but the deal always seemed unlikely.
Antonio Conte is currently rebuilding Tottenham Hotspurs with Son and Harry Kane integral to those plans. If Liverpool were to sign him, it would definitely come with a huge fee, which would be more than FSG are willing to spend on a 30-year-old.
Richarlison
Now, this would not have gone down well with fans. Signing an Everton player who has publicly shown his hate for the club would not sit well with Kopites, even if he’s good.
Richarlison: “Everybody in England hates Liverpool. Everyone is obsessed with Van Dijk, but he's not the best defender in the world. Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Sergio Ramos are all better than him.” pic.twitter.com/QD3mtnFgpc
— Football Tweet ⚽ (@Football__Tweet) September 10, 2021
He signed for Tottenham for £60m with many Liverpool fans mocking the transfer fee. It would be difficult for the Brazilian to settle in the club due to the rivalry, so I think it’s good that Liverpool steered clear of this transfer.
