Liverpool’s attacking plans appear to be far from finished.
According to Miguel Delaney, the Reds are still pursuing Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr despite seeing an initial offer of around £50 million rejected.
And with the transfer window closing rapidly, this could become one of the more interesting stories to follow over the next few days.
Iraola wants three more attacking players
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola reportedly wants to bring in three attacking players before the transfer window closes.
The plan would be to sign:
● Two players capable of operating in wide positions
● One forward who can deputise for Alexander Isak
That would represent a significant reshaping of Liverpool’s attack.
The arrival of Bradley Barcola would address one of those wide positions, but Liverpool clearly don’t want to stop there.
Why Sarr?
Sarr is an interesting option because of his versatility.
The Crystal Palace forward can operate from either flank and has experience playing centrally.
That could make him particularly valuable to Iraola.
Liverpool don’t simply need another winger who can start every week.
They need players capable of stepping into different roles when injuries, suspensions or fixture congestion hit.
Sarr could potentially provide that flexibility.
Palace don’t want to sell cheaply
Liverpool’s reported £50m offer being rejected tells us that Palace aren’t desperate to let their player leave.
And you can understand why.
Sarr has become an important player for Palace and has plenty of Premier League experience.
If Liverpool want him, they may have to increase their offer significantly.
The question is whether the Reds believe he’s worth paying a premium for.
Liverpool need a backup for Isak
Perhaps the most interesting part of Delaney’s report is Liverpool’s desire to sign another player who can deputise for Isak.
That makes perfect sense.
Liverpool have invested £125m in their new striker.
But Isak can’t play every minute of every competition.
Liverpool are potentially facing a huge number of fixtures across the Premier League, Champions League and domestic cups.
If Isak gets injured, who plays No.9?
That’s a question the club need to answer.
Squad depth is becoming increasingly important
The Newcastle draw highlighted just how important squad depth could be.
Liverpool were able to bring players such as Alexis Mac Allister, Victor Muñoz and Lewis Koumas off the bench, but there are still areas where the squad looks short.
Iraola wants intensity from his team.
That requires players who can maintain that intensity throughout a long season.
You can’t expect the same 11 players to play every three days.
Sarr has another interesting quality
There’s also a reason Liverpool fans may be particularly interested in Sarr.
He has a very good record against the Reds.
Across his appearances for Watford and Crystal Palace, Sarr has repeatedly caused Liverpool problems.
That’s obviously not a reason to sign someone on its own.
But it does demonstrate that he can perform against top opposition.
My verdict
I’m intrigued by this one.
If Liverpool can sign Barcola and then add Sarr, Iraola would suddenly have considerably more pace and versatility in the attacking areas.
Barcola could provide the explosiveness.
Sarr could provide flexibility.
And another forward could provide the cover Liverpool need for Isak.
That’s a much more complete attacking group.
But I wouldn’t want Liverpool to simply throw money at Palace because the deadline is approaching.
£50m has already been rejected.
If Palace want considerably more, Liverpool need to decide whether Sarr is genuinely worth that investment.
One thing is clear, though.
Iraola doesn’t appear to think Liverpool’s attack is finished.
He wants three more attacking options.
And with Liverpool still pursuing Ismaila Sarr, the next few days could be extremely busy at Anfield.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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