Arne Slotplaceholder image
Arne Slot | Getty Images
Liverpool will be able to sign some more players before the end of the transfer window
Liverpool won the Premier League at the first time of asking under the guidance of Arne Slot. They will be hoping for more of the same next season. However, Manchester City and Arsenal are expected to be stronger.
The Reds have the chance to sign some more players this summer to bolster their squad. They have already snapped up the likes of Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. The Merseyside outfit also have the opportunity to let some individuals leave if needed.
Liverpool target Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe-Mateta
Liverpool are keen on a move for Crystal Palace striker Jean Philippe-Mateta, according to Foot Mercato, amid his valuation of between '€50-60million’. They are being linked with a swoop for the Eagles man in this window. It remains to be seen at this stage whether they will lodge an official offer or whether he is just on their radar.
Mateta, 28, is under contract with his current club until June 2027. Therefore, they are under no pressure to sell him just yet. They are able to wait for the right amount of money to come in for his signature to even consider cashing in.
The former France youth international joined Crystal Palace back in 2021 on an initial loan deal that was later made permanent. He has since become one of their most prized assets and is a key player. The forward has scored 43 goals in 136 games in all competitions, 17 of which came in the last campaign.
Mateta was on the books at Lyon from 2016 to 2018 as a youngster. He then switched to Germany to link up with Mainz and enjoyed his time in the Bundesliga. The Sevran-born man found the net on 27 occasions in 71 outings before his transfer to England to Selhurst Park.
Would Jean Philippe-Mateta suit Liverpool?
Mateta would give Liverpool another option to pick from up. If he joined, he would give them more competition and depth up top. His pace and power has proved to cause problems to opposition defenders.
Slot said back in May that he was looking to bring in different ‘weapons’: “I think we can find one or two extra weapons this team doesn’t have. Maybe, maybe, by using the transfer market. That is what we are trying to achieve. That will make us only stronger. That is what we need because we saw [Manchester] City spending £200m in the [January] transfer window. All of them will. Apart from the transfer window, we can also improve certain aspects ourselves.”
The Reds’ chances of moving for Mateta may well depend on what is happening with Darwin Nunez. His long-term future at Anfield is up in the air amid transfer speculation regarding an exit. If he left, they could do with finding a replacement.
He remains put at the moment though and scored against Preston North End over the weekend. Slot’s side faced the Championship outfit at Deepdale and won 3-1, with Conor Bradley and Cody Gakpo also on the scoresheet. Liam Lindsay got the Lilywhites’ goal.
Continue Reading