Liverpool planning bid for £60m star who could be their next Jota

Liverpool stay prime of the Premier League desk, albeit their benefit is not trying fairly as wholesome because it did per week or so in the past.

On Saturday, after falling behind inside 11 minutes, after which seeing Andy Robertson despatched off not lengthy after, the Reds truly did remarkably properly to carry Fulham to a 2-2 draw at Anfield, twice equalising in entrance of the Kop, with Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota the scorers.

That is solely the fourth time in any competitors that Liverpool have didn’t win a match since Arne Slot’s arrival on Merseyside, however means they’re now a mere two factors away from in-form Chelsea, albeit with a recreation in hand.

So, because the Reds go looking for a record-equaling twentieth English top-flight title in 2025, might the addition of one other ahead assist push them over the road?

Liverpool making ready bid for brand new ahead

In accordance with a report from Caught Offside, Liverpool, in addition to each Arsenal and Manchester Metropolis, are all all for signing Brighton ahead Joao Pedro, purportedly ready to bid as much as £54m.

The Brazilian started his profession at Fluminense, having joined the Rio de Janeiro-based giants as a ten-year-old, earlier than departing for Watford in 2020, scoring 24 objectives in 109 appearances for the Hornets.

These are removed from excellent statistics, however he actually did sufficient to draw the eye of these on the South Coast throughout his time in Hertfordshire as a result of, in the summertime of 2023, he moved to Brighton for a club-record £30m.

Throughout his first season with the Seagulls, Pedro scored a powerful 20 objectives throughout all competitions, together with six in six within the Europa League, the membership’s maiden voyage into continental competitors, most notably this well-known last-gasp winner when Olympique de Marseille visited Sussex, a strike that booked Brighton’s place within the spherical of 16.

How a lot Joao Pedro might price Liverpool

Thus far this marketing campaign, Pedro’s impression has been restricted by an ankle damage, seeing simply 43 minutes of Premier League motion between 31 August and 23 November, however he is nonetheless scored 4 occasions, objectives which have instantly added seven factors to the Seagulls’ tally.

Having now began 5 successive matches, Fabian Hürzeler clearly values the Brazilian as an necessary participant, therefore why Brighton allegedly worth him at round £60m in keeping with the aforementioned report.

Brighton actually know the right way to get a superb price for a high-quality, in-demand participant: Moisés Caicedo (£115m), Marc Cucurella (£62m), Ben White (£50m), Alexis Mac Allister (£35m) and Yves Bissouma (£25m) are all current examples from the previous three years of the Seagulls’ robust negotiating powers, with all of this quintet bought to so-called “huge six” Premier League outfits.

So, if Pedro does depart the South Coast in 2025, you may wager your backside greenback it will be for a sky-high price.

How Joao Pedro would enhance Liverpool’s ahead line

Arne Slot already has an array of high-quality forwards at his disposal, particularly Mohamed Salah, who’s in ongoing contract negotiations, in addition to Luis Díaz, Darwin Núñez, Gakpo, Jota and summer time recruit Federico Chiesa, who’s made little impression up to now attributable to damage.

Described as an “insane dribbler” by knowledge analyst Ben Mattinson, how does Pedro examine to the Reds’ 5 predominant attacking choices?

Properly, enjoying in that hybrid function between being a centre-forward and a quantity 10, similar to Jota has finished at Anfield, he stacks up fairly properly compared.

To the shock of nobody, Salah ranks the very best in just about each attacking metric; you did not want a huge desk filled with numbers to inform you he is good did you?

Nevertheless, when in comparison with the opposite forwards, Pedro is on par with most, rating highest for objectives per 90, whereas boasting an xG determine superior to each Jota and Gakpo.

Slot has been chopping and altering his centre-forwards this season, notably since Jota suffered a rib damage towards Chelsea in mid-October, with Díaz usually getting the nod over Nunez, most notably for the 4-0 demolition of Bayer Leverkusen, during which the Colombian bagged a second half hat-trick.

Meantime, Gakpo has primarily been deployed in his most popular place out-wide, believing he’s “extra harmful” underneath Slot, claiming the supervisor advised him that left-wing “goes to be your place”, having been predominantly deployed centrally by Jürgen Klopp.

So, with Jota having missed 59 matches attributable to damage for the reason that begin of the 22/23 season, and Nunez not dwelling as much as the sky-high expectations set by his club-record £85m price ticket, the Uruguayan having scored simply 36 objectives in 116 outings thus far, central striker does stay a place of want and Pedro’s numbers recommend he could possibly be a improbable addition if the Reds are prepared to cough up an enormous price for his providers.