Liverpool spent big last season, and they are going to have to do it all over again this summer, with Arne Slot's side in need of major surgery.
Five wins from six in all competitions tells of improvements made, but the Premier League champions remain a wide margin away from last season's fluent level, dancing their way through the league season and up to the highest point of the podium.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot-1
It's important to point out that Slot retains the full backing of FSG. The Dutch head coach will surive until the end-of-season review at the very least.
However, a number of poor choices have contributed toward the downfall, and Cody Gakpo's rise to first-choice status on the left wing is sadly one of those factors.
Cody Gakpo's form for Liverpool
The pitfall of selling Luis Diaz to Bayern Munich has been the exposure of Gakpo's one-dimensional wing play. In January, analyst Raj Chohan said the Dutchman is a "Europa League-level player", indicating a lack of elite quality.
gakpo-liverpool-forest
This has probably been shown to be true since the summer. The 26-year-old knows how to score a goal, and he's created a steady amount across the Premier League campaign, but he isn't a focal point and has only bagged twice in the league since mid October, more than four months ago.
With Mohamed Salah on his way out as a world-class goalscorer, Gakpo's woes have only been exacerbated, and calls are rising for Rio Ngumoha to be given a step up after a dazzling cameo at the City Ground last weekend.
Cody Gakpo & Rio Ngumoha vs Nott'm Forest
Stats
Minutes played
Goals
Assists
Touches
Shots (on target)
Accurate passes
Chances created
Crosses
Dribbles
Ball recoveries
Tackles
Duels won
Small wonder that Liverpool have looked imbalanced in attack this season, and sporting director Richard Hughes is going to need to redress both offensive flanks this summer.
The emergence of Ngumoha eases the frustration, for sure, but Slot is yet unwilling to hand the 17-year-old a prominent role.
Liverpool are going to consider a big-money move for a new winger this summer, and one of the likely names on the shortlist was once let go by the Reds for nothing.
The Premier League winger Liverpool let go for free
Liverpool are known for their calculated, shrewd moves on the transfer market, but even the most careful of clubs cannot prevent some academy stars from slipping through their fingers (Chelsea would grudgingly attest to that when Ngumoha left Cobham and moved to Merseyside).
Rio Ngumoha for Liverpool
When he was only 11 years old, Anthony Gordon found himself cut from Liverpool's school of prospects, a crushing blow in his athletic infancy.
However, Gordon was rehoused at Everton and went on to become the pride of the Finch Farm academy before forcing his way out of Goodison Park and signing for Newcastle United in a £45m deal in January 2023.
Gordon, 24, is now one of the most recognisable wingers in the Premier League, and while it's been an up-and-down season for him, with ten goals in the Champions League, he has only been outscored by Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe.
Liverpool have actually considered signing Gordon since his move to St. James' Park, engaged in discussions with the Tynesiders over a £100m move in 2024, as United scrambled to work around PSR concerns. He's attracting interest from those in the Premier League again, with reports just last week suggesting Manchester United were looking at signing him for £100m.
A self-proclaimed "nightmare for defenders" to deal with, Gordon has blistering speed and a hunger to be the main man. He's not maximised his potential yet, but there's no question that he could become one of the best in the business, especially if moving to a club like Liverpool.
Newcastle's Anthony Gordon
Certainly, there's more to Gordon's game than there is to Gakpo's. The Three Lions star is a menace, unpredictable and dangerous.
Gakpo, sadly, has been anything but that, with his clinical shooting and ability to pick out a pass negated by samey efforts, often cutting in at the same time or working the same sequence.
Anthony Gordon - Career Stats by Position
Position
Left winger
Right winger
Centre-forward
Attacking midfield
Gordon's versatility would see him utilised across a range of roles, as Slot did so expertly with Diaz last season. However, there's no question that he's at his best when zipping up the left wing and creating chaos in the danger area, and for that reason, Gordon would mark an instant upgrade on Gakpo.
It's a shame things didn't work out differently when he was last part of the Liverpool persuasion.
Liverpool forward Mohamed Salah Related
[Worse than Salah: Liverpool must replace 3/10 flop who's "Europa League level"](https://www.footballfancast.com/not-just-mohamed-salah-liverpool-must-replace-cody-gakpo/ "Worse than Salah: Liverpool must replace 3/10 flop who's "Europa League level"")
Liverpool's late winner at Nottingham Forest papered over a huge number of cracks.