Imagine him & Trent: Liverpool join race to sign 60m sensation

Liverpool will be hoping to have a more successful 2024/25 season than they did last term, which happened to be Jurgen Klopp’s final in charge. He has departed the club following the conclusion of the season, with Feyenoord manager Arne Slot taking over at the helm of the club.

Last season, the Reds could not give the legendary German the send-off he would have wanted, failing to win three of the four trophies they were competing for. They did manage to win the Carabao Cup, beating Chelsea 1-0 in the final, with Virgil van Dijk scoring the winning goal to seal what turned out to be Klopp’s final trophy.

In the Premier League, Liverpool finished third, after falling off in the title race against Manchester City, the eventual winners, and Arsenal. Klopp’s side actually finished quite a way behind the top two in the end, finishing the season on 82 points compared to City’s tally of 91 and Arsenal’s tally of 85.

In both the Europa League and the FA Cup, the Reds were eliminated by the eventual winners. Atalanta eliminated them from the Europa League at the quarter-final stage largely thanks to a 3-0 victory at Anfield. Manchester United knocked them out of the FA Cup, winning 4-3 in extra time in one of the all-time great cup ties.

Slot will be determined to avenge Klopp next season and get Liverpool’s hands back on the trophies they didn’t win, and indeed the one they did. The Reds have been linked with a player who they could well sign during the summer transfer window that could have a big effect on their season in 2024/25.

Liverpool want Premier League winger

The player in question here is Crystal Palace and French winger Michael Olise. It was another stellar season for the former Reading man, and he is now wanted by a whole host of top-flight clubs, with Liverpool recently joining the hunt.

That is according to a report from Football Transfers, who report that the Reds have ‘entered the conversation’ for Olise, with the club ‘looking for a successor’ to legendary winger Mohamed Salah.

Liverpool, however, are not thought to be the only club in the race for Olise’s signature. Three other Premier League clubs are vying for his services, too. Manchester United are a favoured club for the winger because they are the team he supported as a youngster. Chelsea are also an option; they are regarded as the frontrunner and club where he spent time in the academy. Newcastle United are also interested.

However, Liverpool entering the race, could complicate the matter for Olise, given they are looking for an heir to Salah. With that being said, it’s suggested that a lack of a guarantee of game time makes ‘a possible deal tricky’. The 22-year-old has a release clause of £60m in his current Palace deal, and would not leave for any less than that.

How Olise fits in at Liverpool

Olise was one of the deadliest attackers in the Premier League last season. Frustratingly, it was a campaign which was ravaged by injuries for the Frenchman; he missed 21 games with a hamstring injury that he picked up at the U21 Euros in the summer of 2023. It was an issue that he reaggravated 11 games after returning.

However, in the 19 games he featured in during the 2023/24 campaign, Olise managed to score ten goals and register six assists. He played just 1,282 minutes, which equates to 14 full 90-minute games, meaning he averaged more than one goal involvement every game.

There is certainly no question about his output from a Liverpool point of view. If they want a right-winger with elite goal involvement numbers to fill the shoes of Salah one day, then it certainly seems that Olise will be up to the task, given his exploits for Palace so far.

Something that could excite Liverpool fans is the partnership Olise could strike up with right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.

The England international has excelled in recent years, becoming one of the most productive assist-makers in the Premier League. In fact, his teammate Andy Robertson is the only defender with more assists in the competition, with 59 compared to Alexander-Arnold’s 58.

In recent years, we have seen Alexander-Arnold invert into midfield when Liverpool have the ball, so he can influence the game from central areas of the pitch. However, two of his most productive seasons, 2018/19 when he registered 12 assists, and 2019/20 when he registered 13, came when he was holding width on the right wing.

Should Liverpool sign Olise, the Englishman could perhaps revert to his old methods, which could get plenty out of his game, and also help Olise thrive. The Palace number sevenloves to cut inside on his left foot, meaning he and Alexander-Arnold would be operating in similar areas of the pitch.

Instead, a dynamic of Olise in the half-space and Alexander-Arnold holding width on the right could create a well-balanced attack for the Anfield side. There could also be rotations between the pair, with Alexander-Arnold sometimes tucking side and the France U21 star holding the width, making it a more fluid and less predictable partnership.

One thing is for sure, having the creativity of both players on the right-hand side would make Liverpool a force to be reckoned with.

As per Fbref, Alexander-Arnold averages 8.69 progressive passes per 90 minutes, which ranks him in the top 2% of full-backs, and 2.70 key passes per 90, placing him in the top 1%. Comparatively, according to Fbref, Olise averages 5.51 progressive passes, ranking him in the top 19% of wingers, and 2.54 key passes, which places him in the top 16% of wingers.

Scout Jacek Kulig described Olise as “one of the Premier League’s best players” last term, and it is easy to see why. He is a complete right-winger and paired with Alexander-Arnold, Slot could have the next big duo in Premier League history at his disposal.

If Liverpool manage to get their hands on Olise this summer, it will make them a deadly force, and go a long way to helping win back the trophies Slot will be so desperate to win in his first season as manager.