After another miserable weekend, the only thing giving Liverpool supporters some comfort right now is the potential of a change in manager.
Many fans would love to see Xabi Alonso replace Arne Slot, and are fully expecting that their club will do the right thing and appoint the Spaniard.
If they do, it should be expected that Alonso will keep Liverpool’s plans of playing 4-2-2-2 next season, and while that system could get the best out of Florian Wirtz, it could also see an ambitious move for Real Madrid’s Franco Mastantuono come to fruition.
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Surely we've got no chance against them 😣
PSG players celebrate after scoring during the Ligue 1 match against Toulouse at the Parc des Princes (Credit: Getty Images/Tnani Badreddine/DeFodi Images).
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Mastantuono could leave Real Madrid
After shining in Argentina with River Plate, there were claims last summer that Liverpool were interested in signing Mastantuono.
Eventually they lost out to the pull of Madrid, though, with Sport claiming this weekend that Alonso was heavily involved in his addition.
The Liverpool-linked coach is said to have ‘blindly bet’ on the 18-year-old, who has seen his playing time diminish since Alonso was sacked.
Having become a bit-part player under Alvaro Arbeloa, it’s claimed that Mastantuono is likely to be loaned out this summer.
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Liverpool should try for Mastantuono
Though a loan move from Madrid would clearly not be beneficial to Liverpool, they should be on alert to the potential a permanent offer for Mastantuono could hold.
Sport claim that Los Blancos currently have some liquidity issues and need to raise some funds by selling players this summer.
If Liverpool come to the table with a good offer for Mastantuono, his current position as a non-starter might make Madrid consider it.
Should Alonso have been installed at Anfield by then, the youngster could perhaps see the appeal of linking up with his former coach and kickstarting his career in Europe.
Wirtz and Mastantuono could be Liverpool’s roving No. 10s
With Liverpool reportedly hoping to deploy a 4-2-2-2 system next year, Mastantuono’s addition would make a great deal of sense.
“I think he can play in the front line, and as an ‘enganche’ [playmaker] as well,” Alonso said of Mastantuono last August. “At River he often played as a No. 10, as a playmaker, and then started moving out to the wing. I think he can do both. He has that mobility, and he likes combining with those around him.”
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Gerrard or Alonso 😬
Xabi Alonso walks out ahead of Real Madrid's La Liga match against Real Betis at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu (Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto). Steven Gerrard pictured at Wembley Stadium ahead of England's UEFA EURO 2024 qualifier against Ukraine (Credit: Getty Images/Michael Regan - The FA).
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Alberto Gardin/NurPhoto/Michael Regan/The FA
A left-footer who is also adept at playing on the wing, the Argentina international is something of a reverse Florian Wirtz.
With Wirtz drifting from centre to left and Mastantuono doing the same on the right, Liverpool would have two incredibly creative, tricky players supplying the bullets for Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.
Liverpool have been linked with Morgan Rogers ahead of the summer, and the signs are that they may be looking for another creative midfielder who can also play wide.
Mastantuono would tick those boxes, and, when coupled with his availability and his history with Alonso, he could be the perfect arrival.
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