Liverpool are on the verge of a historic Premier League title and with Jurgen Klopp gone, that is quite the sentence.
When the German announced his departure, it caused mass panic among the Anfield faithful. The Reds were fearing a seismic drop-off, potentially years away from challenging for a league again.
However, Arne Slot has - to excuse the pun - slotted right in and made Anfield cheer his name almost as loudly as Klopp's.
Liverpool head coach Arne Slot
Liverpool may have exited the Champions League and lost the Carabao Cup final but that will not matter when they lift the Premier League aloft in six weeks or so.
So, it's time to capitalise on this triumph. With Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah potentially set to exit, they will need to strengthen.
Liverpool summer transfer plans
Alexander-Arnold will be boarding a plane to Madrid imminently, so signing a new right-back must be a priority. Reports suggest Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong is an option.
Bayer Leverkusen's Jeremie Frimpong
They will also need a new forward. Darwin Nunez is regularly linked with the exit door and just cannot build up any consistency in front of goal, scoring a dismal seven goals across 40 outings in all competitions this term.
That would explain links to strikers such as Newcastle's Alexander Isak but the Toon's reluctance to sell means it's unlikely he'll be going anywhere soon.
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So, how about Atletico Madrid's Julian Alvarez? The Argentine only left Manchester City last summer but reports in Spain suggest he could be on the move again.
One publication on the continent is reporting that Liverpool are now willing to lodge a truly ridiculous €170m (£142m) bid to bring him to Anfield this summer.
julian-alvarez-atletico-madrid-1
It's indicated that a deal could be done if Salah leaves with Slot and Co very much on the lookout for alternatives in the worst-case scenario.
If a deal was done at that price, it would make it one of the biggest moves in the history of the sport and the biggest in Premier League history.
How Julian Alvarez compares to Alexander Isak
So, Isak is clearly the number one target for a lot of clubs this summer and it's hardly a surprise given his haul of 23 goals in 33 outings. There aren't many better strikers out there.
Newcastle United's Alexander Isak celebrates scoring their second goal-1
However, since leaving City, Alvarez has also been on fire and in the words of Argentine journalist Roy Nemer, the World Cup winner has been the "best forward in the world" this season.
Do the numbers support that? Well, he's found the net on 23 occasions, the same number as Isak, although he has played 12 more games.
Isak is an out and out centre-forward and although Alvarez can do that job tremendously, he can also play in a number 10 role, making him rather similar to Bobby Firmino.
Firmino wasn't a direct striker either, notably deployed as a false 9 by Klopp on plenty of occasions. As a result, the Brazilian used his selfless creativity to pick out runners in behind. Alvarez could be used in a similar manner.
Alvarez vs Isak in 2024/25
Stat (per 90 mins)
Goals
Progressive carries
Successful take-ons
Carries into final 3rd
Progressive passes
Key passes
Shot-creating actions
Stats via FBRef.
Analysing the numbers above, it's clear that Newcastle's Swedish sensation is more prolific but in other areas they are pretty closely matched, demonstrating a similar level of creativity and carrying this season.
However, if we analyse more historical data, Alvarez is usually the more creative of the duo, supplying 1.66 key passes per 90 to Isak's 1.22 per 90 since 2022. There's that Firmino-esque attribute shining through once more.
We know that Slot likes a multi-faceted and versatile forward so perhaps there is sense in chasing the Argentine instead. Aged 25, he's yet to even reach his prime either.
This would be an exceptional signing for the Reds.
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