Liverpool still haven't signed anyone this summer, and we're less than two weeks away from the transfer window slamming shut.
Alarm bells? While supporters are anxious about the situation, Liverpool bosses appear to be calm, with quality and depth across every area of Arne Slot's first-team squad.
And anyway, there is an internal quandary that requires Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes' full focus: the fact that Virgil van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah have all entered the final years of their contracts.
But if the right opportunity comes along, Liverpool will surely pounce, for Slot will need one or two fresh faces to help shape his vision…
Liverpool transfer news
As per transfer insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are interested in completing a shock late move for Ademola Lookman this month, with the former Everton flop now valued at €60m (£51m) by Atalanta.
Paris Saint-Germain are also keen on signing the Nigeria international, whose hat-trick sank Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final last season, so FSG will need to ramp up the gas if they are to win the race.
Why Liverpool are interested in Ademola Lookman
Liverpool might have something of an overload of left-sided wingers but Barcelona's interest in Luis Diaz persists, though Slot is adamant the Colombian is going nowhere. Still, there's time yet for a twist in the tale.
Lookman, to further the point, is not just a winger, having been moulded into a more central striker under Gian Piero Gasperini, reaping the rewards after plundering 17 goals and ten assists across all competitions, very much looking like the kind of dynamic option Liverpool could benefit from welcoming.
Second striker
21
7
4
Centre-forward
15
7
6
Left winger
6
2
0
Attacking midfield
1
1
0
His monstrous performance in the Europa League final, dismantling Xabi Alonso's previously unbeatable German outfit, put his name on the map, but was indeed merely a continuation of performances across the campaign that led content creator Luke Taylor to marvel at the "extraordinary" nature of the success.
In the Italian top flight alone, he posted 11 goals and seven assists across just 22 starting appearances, also creating ten big chances and averaging 1.6 key passes and 1.3 dribbles per game. This is a fine showcase of the full package that Lookman has become, with analyst Ben Mattinson even noting that he "has become a much more complete player" since his erstwhile days in England.
As per FBref, the 26-year-old ranks among the top 16% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 9% for assists, the top 2% for shot-creating actions, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 3% for progressive carries and the top 7% for successful take-ons per 90.
This all comes together to paint a picture that would be certain to excite Reds supporters, should rumours of FSG's interest start to gain more steam. After all, there's the added bonus that he was sold by the Toffees to RB Leipzig for a £22.5m fee in 2019, after enjoying a short but successful stint on Merseyside.
Clearly, he's an eclectic and multi-faceted kind of player who would dovetail right into Liverpool's system. The slick and interchangeable play that was on show during the second half of the Anfield side's victory over Ipswich Town in the Premier League opener last weekend highlighted as such.
FBref even highlights Cody Gakpo and Salah as comparable players, making a telling comment on Lookman's suitability, so now really is the time for him to make the move back to the Premier League – perhaps replicating Liverpool's Egyptian king in doing so.
Arne Slot's own Salah signing
Lookman is ready to return to the Premier League. The London-born ace might have succeeded at Everton but he has completed two loan spells in the division since first moving abroad and signing for Leipzig, with Fulham and Leicester City, scoring only 12 goals from 83 fixtures across the spells combined.
There are certainly similarities there. A 25-year-old Salah joined Liverpool from AS Roma in a £34m deal back in 2017 in a transfer that was met with indifference and perhaps even a bit of scorn by rival circles.
This was a player who had failed to make the grade with Chelsea, scoring just twice across 19 matches for the Blues and undergoing a series of loan spells before finding a home with Fiorentina in Italy – soon after moving to the capital.
This is now a player with widespread acclaim across the footballing world, accepted and adulated as one of the Premier League's finest-ever goalscorers, with 212 goals and 90 assists across 350 Liverpool matches.
He might have turned 32 in the summer but his goal-and-assist performance against the Tractor Boys was yet another illustration of his staggering level, with analyst Raj Chohan marvelling over the "world-class goalscorer" post-match.
His longevity is principally down to his elite athletic ability, keeping himself in superlative shape. Lookman would have a lot to learn if he wished to arrive at Anfield and succeed as Slot's own version of the esteemed Egyptian, but the tools for such success are certainly there.
Lookman is now at a stage of his career that has showcased his sustained potency in front of goal and shone a light on his level of dynamism.
Given that the Nigerian has sharpened his tools in recent years after previously failing to cement a starring role in England, he could indeed be the second coming for the Reds.
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