Explained: Premier League explains why Joao Pedro avoided ...
Liverpool were officially handed the Premier League title on Sunday after their 1-1 draw against Crystal Palace at Anfield on the final matchday of the season. With a memorable campaign having come to an end, Arne Slot and the board can turn their attentions towards the transfer market as they look to make reinforcements ahead of 2025/26.
Jeremie Frimpong is expected to join the Reds shortly while Florian Wirtz and Milos Kerkez might also follow suit. Meanwhile, the likes of Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz are amongst those the club will listen to offers for and at least one of them departing Merseyside will open the door to a new arrival in the final third.
Ben Jacobs has reported that Liverpool are keen on signing Brighton & Hove Albion star Joao Pedro, who had a reasonably good season with the Seagulls with 10 goals and seven assists to his name in all competitions. While the journalist denies interest from Chelsea, it was reported last week that the Londoners held a meeting with Pedro’s employers to possibly discuss his transfer.
Pedro not what Liverpool require
Although Joao Pedro is a brilliant player and has Premier League experience under his belt, he is perhaps not the profile that Liverpool require right now. The Brazilian is an exceptional secondary striker but has not impressed much when playing as the lone number nine, hence rendering him a possible misfit in Arne Slot’s setup.
Instead, Liverpool need an out and out marksman who can be lethal in the box as well as be comfortable playing as the team’s solitary frontman. The Reds have yet to come close to such a profile but could start to explore the market for somebody similar sooner rather than later, especially if they can have clarity on Darwin Nunez’s future.
For Chelsea, however, Joao Pedro would be a solid signing, especially if they can manage to pair him up with a potent hitman like Victor Osimhen. The 23–year-old’s abilities on the ball will flourish next to a player of the Nigerian’s calibre and help the Blues build a system that would help them play more directly and offer them a lot of threat in the central part of the final third.