Liverpool are marching their way through the summer transfer window, picking up any number of talented recruits to add to Arne Slot’s Premier League-winning squad.
With Milos Kerkez’s £40m move from Bournemouth to Anfield now sealed, sporting director Richard Hughes may well take a breather and ponder whether to target any final brush-ups so Liverpool can remain competitive at the very highest level once again.
With Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong brought over from Bayer Leverkusen, goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili arriving to replace Caoimhin Kelleher, you’d think that this might be the case.
Let’s not forget, though, the Reds have had to swallow some degree of setback, with Trent Alexander-Arnold opting against renewing his contract and instead signing for Real Madrid at the end of his contract.
Moreover, interest in Luis Diaz’s signature is rife, and FSG may have to consider signing a replacement this summer.
The latest on Luis Diaz's future
While The Athletic’s David Ornstein has stressed that Liverpool are willing to keep onto Diaz, 28, even if it means running down his contract, Barcelona and further suitors in Saudi Arabia are keen, and the latter might be willing to pay a handsome figure.
Coming off the back of his best season in a Liverpool shirt, the versatile Diaz has proved invaluable for Slot’s side, scoring 17 goals and supplying eight assists across the past campaign.
But he’s not without his flaws, and the Anfield side has lined up long-term target Anthony Gordon as a potential replacement, although he has been priced in the £75m ballpark.
Gordon, to be sure, is a good winger, but Newcastle would want silly money for his sale and an exciting alternative may well have been earmarked by Hughes and co.
Liverpool enquire for Gordon alternative
As per BBC Sport’s Sami Mokbel, Liverpool are one of the clubs to have lodged an official enquiry for West Ham United winger Mohammed Kudus, who is anticipated to be leaving East London this summer.
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Speaking on the Latte Firm Arsenal podcast, he said: “My information is that all of the top six in the Premier League have checked in on the conditions of that deal. He’s got an £85m release clause for Premier League clubs but I think West Ham would be willing to go below that.
“They wouldn’t take masses below that but they would be open to a negotiation. There is a long-term interest there [from Arsenal] and as I understand that, there has been an enquiry from the Premier League’s top six.”
The Ghanaian star struggled to find his finest form throughout a turbulent season for the Hammers, and, as such, it would not be a huge surprise to see West Ham accept a reduced fee, although the exact figure is undetermined.
While Arsenal have been reported to have had a long-standing interest in the 24-year-old, if Diaz does go, Kudus could be a great fit.
What Mohammed Kudus would bring to Liverpool
West Ham signed Kudus from Ajax for around £38m in August 2023, and he has since posted 19 goals and 13 assists from 80 matches. Despite his incredible quality, however, Kudus has suffered from second-season syndrome.
Five goals and three assists in the Premier League last season hardly denote elite-level output, but then Kudus’ skill set is an incredible thing, boasting power and movement that most wingers can only dream of.
He would need to make prolific improvements next year, but then he surely would in Liverpool’s team, playing alongside Wirtz, Mohamed Salah and the rest.
Given that Gordon only scored six top-flight goals, laying on five more assists, there’s certainly no guarantee that the England international would prove the tonic for which the hole left by Diaz’s absence could be healed.
Curiously, both Kudus and Gordon dipped somewhat in 2024/25 after previously thriving in the Premier League. Both are talented and proven wingers, dynamic and versatile, explosive and electric.
Let’s have a look at their statistics across 2023/24 and how they compare when both are firing on all cylinders.
Matches (starts)
35 (34)
33 (27)
Goals
11
8
Assists
10
6
Touches*
2.3 (0.9)
2.0 (0.5)
Pass completion
82%
84%
Key passes*
1.6
0.8
Big chances created
16
5
Dribbles*
1.5
3.8
Ball recoveries*
3.6
6.4
Tackles + interceptions*
1.8
2.3
Duels
5.3
8.5
Gordon certainly has the advantage in terms of output, and he’s more refined in his underlying playmaking too.
However, Kudus’ fleet-footedness and strength have turned him into something of a duel monster, outfoxing his opponents with blistering speed and sharp shimmies to drive the ball into the danger area.
Is it any wonder journalist Gary Al-Smith has hailed him a “generational talent”? Indeed, even though he flattered to deceive at times in 2024/25, Kudus still recorded the second-highest dribble count across the Premier League term, behind only Manchester City’s Jeremy Doku.
Just imagine this kind of explosiveness in Slot’s system. Diaz, while blessed with such suitable properties, ranked only among the top 39% of positional peers across Europe’s top five leagues last season for progressive carries and the top 19% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.
A successful take-on is recorded when a player beats their opponent by directly carrying the ball past them while retaining possession.
Gordon, meanwhile, ranked among the top 22% and 46% for the same metrics. What about the Irons speedster? He ranked among the top 3% for successful take-ons, and a glance up at his dribble average across his first Premier League term tells you all you need to know about his capacity as a ball carrier.
If any coach across Europe is capable of getting a tune out of the African sensation’s clinical potential, it’s Slot. Moreover, the Dutch tactician will know exactly how to best utilise Kudus’ talents on the athletic front, using them in conjunction with the creative artistry of the aforementioned Liverpool stars.
It’s a different kind of profile, more unrelenting and chaotic than Diaz’s and indeed Gordon’s.
Given the finances involved in pulling Gordon away from St. James’ Park, Liverpool might want to invest their energy into signing Kudus, especially as he is set to be available for a reduced fee.
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