Liverpool will look to return to title contention next season.placeholder image
Liverpool will look to return to title contention next season. | AFP via Getty Images
Liverpool may target a Bundesliga star as they look to return to title contention next season.
Liverpool face a crucial final 11 matches in the Premier League season as Arne Slot’s side look to salvage a mixed campaign with Champions League qualification.
The Reds came into the season as champions and favourites to hold onto their crown but it has not gone to plan, with a title challenge effectively over before the New Year. Injuries in key areas of the pitch have not helped amid further off-field issues, but the reality is that performances have left much to be desired and Slot’s job beyond the summer looks at risk as a result – especially with Xabi Alonso out of work and currently available.
There are several areas of the pitch which could become crucial elements of a summer rebuild at Anfield, with the midfield emerging as an underlying concern after the sometimes-underwhelming performances of the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch this season.
Bundesliga midfield engine emerges as Liverpool summer target
According to reports by Fussballdaten in Germany, Liverpool are amongst the leading suitors for Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Hugo Larsson, who has been rising to prominence in the Bundesliga.
Signed from Malmo in 2023 for just £7.8million, the 21-year-old has become one of the most outstanding young midfielders in the division and has attracted inevitable Premier League interest. Arsenal and Liverpool lead the chase, as per the report, while Real Madrid are also thought to view Larsson as a top next-gen candidate for their midfield. The Reds were initially linked last year.
The Sweden international is under contract until 2029 and so there is no rush from Frankfurt to sell – but a substantial offer could change this. The German side are thought to value their midfield dynamo at €65m (£57m), with a major Premier League offer likely to tempt all parties as a top English club could ‘easily quadruple’ his current €3m (£2.6m) yearly salary, according to the report.
Could Larsson be the missing piece of the Liverpool puzzle?
Eintracht Frankfurt have grown a reputation of developing and selling on players in recent seasons, to varying levels of success – though Liverpool’s very own Hugo Ekitike has been an undisputed revelation since his £79m summer arrival and might be able to link up with his former team-mate and namesake Larsson if he moves to Anfield, giving the Reds midfield a new lease of life.
One of the key factors which personifies Larsson is his work-rate in midfield, with an average mileage of 12.4 kilometres per game. He can operate as a deep-lying playmaker boasting a 90 percent pass success rate or as a ‘dynamic number eight’ and offers many skills which would fit perfectly into a Liverpool side, while at 21 he still has vast room for growth after his rapid improvement in recent seasons.
With a battle to lead the chase for the Swede continues across the continent, the youngster is quietly continuing to learn his trade as he aims to take wherever he ends up next by storm. Frankfurt’s official stance remains that he is “not for sale” – but that could soon change. Amidst reporting that Arsenal are ‘preparing’ a bid worth up to £43.5m including add-ons, Liverpool may need to act fast to win the race.
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