Arne Slot will need to go back to the drawing board at Liverpool.placeholder image
Arne Slot will need to go back to the drawing board at Liverpool. | Getty Images
Liverpool may need to go back to the drawing board after another poor defeat to Nottingham Forest
Arne Slot and Liverpool need to change something quickly after their horrible recent form continued with a 3-0 defeat at home to Nottingham Forest in the Premier League in front of a bemused Anfield on Saturday.
Be it a change in personnel and dropping key big-name stars, a new system or taking another major dip into the transfer market in January, Slot and his staff have a job on their hands to sort things out quickly and prevent a major slide becoming a full-blown crisis.
Six defeats in seven league matches is not something to become accustomed to as a club of Liverpool’s size, let alone as the reigning league champions, and the Dutch head coach’s decision to ring wholesale changes over the summer is already beginning to backfire.
The Reds have received fresh links with an ‘elite’ Champions League-winning star, as Slot begins to work out his strategy for a crucial winter period with what he will hope are some winnable games on the horizon.
Liverpool touted to bid for ‘complete’ PSG midfielder Joao Neves
According to reports by Fichajes, Liverpool hold a ‘total interest’ in PSG’s Portuguese midfielder Joao Neves, and are prepared to launch a transfer offensive for the player which would ‘shape the next window’.
PSG are set to reject all negotiations for the player, but Liverpool remain ‘determined’ and will hope that the attraction of the Premier League can convince Neves of the move. They view the 21-year-old as ‘the most complete player available in the short to medium term’, and the ‘exceptional talent’ needed to solve a perceived lack of stability and imbalance in midfield so far this season.
Known for his tenacity, maturity and quality on the ball, Neves has also added more of a goalscoring touch so far this season to become PSG’s top scorer this term, scoring a hat-trick for both club and country in recent months.
Liverpool are reportedly ‘preparing’ an offer of close to €160million (£140m) for Neves, viewing him as a potentially game-changing signing.
Neves could be ‘era-defining’ signing for Liverpool
Fichajes’ report continues that Premier League analysts are split over the prospect of Liverpool bidding such a record-breaking amount for Neves in January, following their high spending on young players of a similar age such as Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez in the last transfer window. But others are said view the midfielder as a signing who could change the course of a project, and ‘define an era’ at Anfield.
Neves has become one of Europe’s ‘elite’ midfielders following his starring role in PSG’s run to winning the Champions League for the first time last season, following his £61m summer move from Benfica. But he may have started to take his game to even greater heights so far this term.
Manager Luis Enrique said in a recent post-match press conference: “Ah, you were asking about João Neves! Who is he? Is he the little guy who always scores? I remember him,” the Spaniard laughed.
“It’s impressive, you can see he has a lot of quality, he’s a very young player. He’s been criticised, but that’s normal – all players are criticised in their career. It’s great to see his development and we’re happy to see he has this ability to score goals.”
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