Wirtz will make him world-class: Liverpool now targeting "the new Haaland"

Liverpool have held back in recent transfer markets, opting against springing into the scramble for new players and instead relying on their existing stars.

It's paid off, and handsomely at that. Aside from Federico Chiesa, who joined from Juventus for £12.5m last summer but only started once in the Premier League and is being touted for a move back to Italy, no first-teamers have arrived since August 2023, when Jurgen Klopp applied the finishing strokes to his midfield remodel.

Well, that was the case, at least, until FSG activated Jeremie Frimpong's £29.5m release clause last month, and welcomed the right-sider from Bayer Leverkusen.

Frimpong, electric-paced and positionally flexible, replaces Trent Alexander-Arnold. Elsewhere, Milos Kerkez is in talks to leave Bournemouth and shore up the left flank, while Florian Wirtz is on the verge of following Frimpong from the BayArena to Anfield.

Negotiations have maybe been a tad protracted, but this is a potential British-record signing, and still, his announcement is but a formality at this stage (famous last words).

Fans got a chance to see their potential new superstar in action last night. Germany might have lost in their Nations League semi-final tie to Portugal, but the 22-year-old proved his talent.

Florian Wirtz's performance vs Portugal

Beady-eyed detractors watched on in hopes of Wirtz struggling to make an impression on the international stage, but he scored the opener and was firmly involved in much of the contest.

Clever shimmies, well-worked one-twos and indeed a desire to get at the heart of the affair, on both sides of the field, all highlighted the calibre of player Liverpool could welcome into their fold, even if he trudged home as one of the defeated.

It wasn't a display that left nothing to be desired, however. Pitted against opposite counterparts Bruno Fernandes and Bernardo Silva, the Werkself icon was always going to be up against it.

Florian Wirtz - Stats vs Germany Stats # Minutes played 90' Goals 1 Assists 0 Shots (on target) 2 (2) Accurate passes 32/42 (76%) Key passes 0 Dribbles 3/5 Tackles 3 Duels won 9/16 Stats via Sofascore

Still, he scored, showcased his technical range and indeed a defensive persistence that will serve him well under Slot's wing. The Liverpool head coach, remember, withdrew Jarell Quansah at half-time on his debut last season following concerns over his side's success in the duel (or, more correctly, lack thereof).

Wirtz could almost complete the puzzle, ensure Slot has the means to win more gold next year. However, Liverpool also need a striker, and may well be planning a hijack for a new nine.

Liverpool plan hijack for new Striker

RB Leipzig failed to qualify for Europe this year, and thus are resigned to selling Benjamin Sesko and Xavi Simons, their two most profitable players.

And according to transfer insider Ben Jacobs, Liverpool could be ready to compete with Arsenal for centre-forward Sesko, potentially seeking to hijack Mikel Arteta's move.

“The biggest question mark will be over the number nine and if they can genuinely go for Alexander Isak,” Jacobs said.

“Will they drop the £100m that Frankfurt are asking for Hugo Ekitike, they could even enter the race for Benjamin Sesko even though it feels like Arsenal are more advanced on that one at the moment.”

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The Gunners are "more advanced" in their pursuit, but the striker market is rather slim and Sesko, 22, has a €80m (about £67m) release clause.

That's more affordable than the likes of Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike.

Liverpool would strike gold with Benjamin Sesko

Liverpool are undergoing a series of changes this summer, and Darwin Nunez is expected to be a part of the exodus, making way for a new striker.

Sesko's a raw talent, his potential yet untapped, but he's undoubtedly a star in the making, having scored 39 goals and laid on eight assists across 87 appearances for Leipzig.

The Slovenia international has even been declared "the new Erling Haaland" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, with his incredible power, rangy frame and pace (he's "one of the fastest players on the planet") aligning with the Manchester City superstar, who has scored 121 goals from 142 appearances in Pep Guardiola's team, notably winning the treble. There's the exemplar, right there.

It would be a fool's notion to expect a similar pathway for Sesko, but then there's no denying he's got all the pieces to become a top talent in the Premier League, especially so if he's been sourced by a creative phenom in Wirtz.

Wirtz, indeed, will depart Leverkusen having won the 2023/24 Bundesliga as an invincible, winning the Player of the Season. In total, he's notched 122 goal contributions from 197 total matches for the Werkself.

Taking a closer look at the German playmaker's extraordinary skill set, we see his passing and line-breaking qualities could serve chance upon chance on a silver platter for Sesko.

As per FBref, Wirtz ranked among the top 7% of attacking midfielders and wingers this season for goal contributions, shot-creating actions and progressive passes, the top 2% for passes attempted and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90.

A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.

When not threading surgical passes through to Sesko, Wirtz would be charging forward himself, left skip, right, left, right. His slaloming style, expertly weaving past hopeless opponents, would take the heat off the central striker, allow him to get into space.

Then, the pass is played, and Liverpool are ahead once again.

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