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Liverpool suffered a disappointing home defeat at the hands of Crystal Palace on Sunday, inflicting a significant dent on their title aspirations.
Eberechi Eze’s first half goal was the difference at Anfield, and capped off a dismal week for the Reds that also saw them lose 3-0 to Atalanta in the Europa League next week.
In truth, it was a near fatal couple of days in Jurgen Klopp’s final months as Liverpool boss.
Gary Neville has already suggested that Liverpool being in the title race by April is an overachievement, saying after the Palace result:
“If you said that Liverpool would be two points off Manchester City with five or six games left to go, I’d be like “’no chance’,” Neville said.
“This is a monumental achievement I think for Jurgen Klopp, for them to be where they are.
I said it before the international break and a few Liverpool fans had a go at me, but I felt like they were hanging on.”
“I still think Jurgen Klopp is getting the very best out of this Liverpool team and this Liverpool squad – and what we are now seeing is probably what they are, and they have overachieved to this point.”
It then begs the question as to what Liverpool need to do to ensure they can challenge next season without having to ‘overachieve’ to do so.
Offensively, the Reds have lacked a clinical edge in the past few games, with huge chances against Manchester United and Crystal Palace costing them in the title-run in.
Defensively, things have not been going too well since the start of 2024, with Liverpool struggling to keep clean sheets at home.
With that in mind, let’s take a look at three signings that Liverpool should make to ensure that they can contend strongly on both domestic and European fronts under a new manager next season.
Goncalo Inacio – Sporting CP
Goncalo Inacio has enjoyed a great season under Liverpool-linked Ruben Amorim and could be one of the Sporting players the Portuguese manager looks to bring to Anfield.
A ball-playing centre-back, the 22-year-old excels in building up the play from deep – evidenced by his 99th percentile ranking for both passes attempted and progressive passes according to FBref.
Inacio also has a coveted attribute that every manager loves for the balance of their respective teams, a left foot.
The 21-year-old excels while in possession and is truly the modern interpretation of a ball-playing centre-back.
Where Inacio falls short is in some of his defensive capabilities.
He ranks in the bottom percentiles for blocks and clearances, which suggests perhaps he does not have those pure defensive instincts like so many great centre-backs have.
His aerial ability is also not the greatest, ranking in the 33rd percentile for aerial duels won.
However, the statistics could also be misleading owing to the fact that Inacio plays for a top team in Portugal – so he may not have to do as much defending.
Joel Matip sees his contract expire at the end of the season, with no extension in sight.
Virgil van Dijk is not getting younger at 32, and Ibrahima Konate’s injury record leaves a lot to be desired.
Therefore, Inacio could be the perfect option to replace and replenish the defensive ranks.
Teun Koopmeiners – Atalanta
The Dutch international certainly put his best foot forward at Anfield during Atalanta’s 3-0-win last week.
He received a 7.0 rating from FotMob while playing in an advanced midfield role.
The 26-year-old put in an all-action performance that included 4 shots, a 75% pass accuracy, and 6 out of his 11 ground duels won.
Koopmeiners has been consistently linked with Liverpool and has even announced he wanted to leave Atalanta in the March international break.
This season, the 26-year-old has performed admirably for Atalanta, tallying 12 goals and four assists in 34 games across all competitions.
His versatility as a midfielder has likely earmarked him to the recruitment staff at Anfield.
He has played No.6, 8, or even as an advanced 10 on occasion for the Serie A side this season.
Over the summer, Jurgen Klopp added a lot of midfield reinforcements.
However, Thiago Alcantara’s contract will expire at the end of the season, and therefore there may be a need for replacement.
Nico Williams – Athletic Bilbao
Athletic Bilbao sensation Nico Williams is likely a name on lists of top clubs across Europe.
This season, Williams has been in outstanding form for Bilbao – and played a major role in their recent and historic Copa Del Ray triumph.
The 21-year-old winger three goals and created 5 assists in the Copa Del Ray campaign which saw the Basque club knock-out Real Madrid and Barcelona.
In La Liga, the attacker has 3 goals and 9 assists in 25 appearances – a very decent return for player still learning their trade.
Furthermore, Willaims he was also part of the Spanish World Cup squad led by Luis Enrique that crashed out of the round of 16 against Morocco in 2022.
He has been capped 13 times by Spain.
Liverpool will have their work cut out in attempting to sign Nico Williams, however.
His brother, Inaki Williams, also plays for Bilbao and it’s believed the family have a close connection with the club.
Bilbao are known for only opting for players that are homegrown/from the Basque region, so it will be a very difficult deal to close.
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