Those of a Liverpool persuasion will feel battered and bruised after Arne Slot's side's staggering drop-off this season.
The slew of defeats have forced a retreat from their position at the top of the Premier League ladder, and as Alexis Mac Allister said after arresting the losing run at West Ham United on Sunday, the title is not on anyone's mind; rather, finding a measure of consistency and fluency on the pitch is the incentive right now.
Arne Slot and Alexis Mac Allister for Liverpool
Liverpool might have spent a bucketload this summer, but they also parted with key players, with writer Eddie Gibbs saying, "Liverpool right now look like a side caught between three different ideas of themselves, with none taking root."
A few tweaks are needed, to be sure. And Liverpool are considering a new wide forward to restore balance across the frontline.
Why Liverpool want a forward
When Liverpool capped off their summer spending spree with the British-record addition of Alexander Isak from Newcastle United, the Premier League was in concert: Liverpool had signed a host of elite players.
And while Isak scored his first Premier League goal for the club on Saturday, it's been a testing start to the season, with injuries and a lack of fluency a by-product of Liverpool's wider struggles.
Florian Wirtz, too, looks like he is starting to click into gear, but the Reds have been imbalanced in the final third, and adding width would open up a new dimension from which Slot could rebuild his side's form.
Well, according to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are frontrunners in the race for Bournemouth's Antoine Semenyo, who has been among the standout forwards in the Premier League this season.
antoine-semenyo-bournemouth
The Ghana international, 25, has a £65m release clause which becomes active in January, and so Liverpool are not alone in their interest, with Manchester City and Tottenham also ready to lodge bids if the right opportunity presents itself.
In fact, Pep Guardiola's side have initiated contact, so it's time for Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes to roll up his sleeves.
Why Semenyo would be a better signing than Isak
Semenyo has only gone from strength to strength since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City in the Championship in January 2023. Andoni Iraola has taken that promising skillset and sculpted it into something special.
Now, Semenyo is considered to be "one of the best players in the league" by BBC writer Umir Irfan and it's a sentiment many would agree with after a prolific start to the campaign, six goals and three assists posted in the Premier League already.
Two-footed and effortlessly dynamic, Semenyo has proved too tricky to handle for many Premier League defenders in recent memory, something of a monster in the duel and a fearsome, rip-roaring asset down the wing. He is a big-game player besides.
Semenyo Graphic
The thing is, Semenyo is conservative in his athletic application; he does not prance about with the force of an uncoiled spring. In this he echoes Luis Diaz, who brought a different flavour to Slot's title-winning team and has not been directly replaced.
Perhaps Semenyo could be the signing that Liverpool need, one which would prove even more impactful than Isak, who has yet to prove he is worth the record sum, even when banked by such illustrious heights in black and white over the past several years.
League Stats 25/26 - Cody Gakpo vs Antoine Semenyo
Match Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Assists
Touches*
Shots (on target)*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Dribbles*
Recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Duels won*
Data via Sofascore
Gakpo has enjoyed a quietly effective season on the left so far for Liverpool, even against the current of their crisis. However, he is far less mobile than Semenyo, and he lacks the clarity and sparkle on the ball that Semenyo imbues the Cherries flanks with.
It really cannot be understated how unique Semenyo is. This is a winger who is making incremental gains, a winger who could now bloom into a true superstar not only in the Premier League but in Europe's elite club competition too.
Liverpool have been imbalanced this season, and this is the profile that Liverpool need. It has the potential to be the best signing of the season for the Reds, albeit one which should have been completed back at the start of the campaign.
Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo Related
[Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"](https://www.footballfancast.com/better-signing-than-semenyo-liverpool-to-table-bid-for-camavinga/ "Better move than Semenyo: Liverpool set to table bid to sign £53m "machine"")
Liverpool and FSG are considering a host of positions ahead of the January transfer window.