n8rngtd.topLiverpool fans would have been expecting some teething issues this season as Arne Slot got up to speed with the English game after his arrival from Feyenoord.
Instead, the Dutchman has taken to the pressures of the revered Anfield dug-out like a duck to water, with only one Premier League defeat next to his table-topping team’s name from 23 outings.
Whilst it does seem unlikely that the Reds will splash any cash between now and deadline day – owing to their status at the very top of the league – an opportunity could well open up that Slot and Co cannot turn down, with a long-term target potentially making them an even more frightening prospect to contain.
A market opportunity on deadline day for Liverpool
As per reports from late last month, Liverpool are avid admirers of Lyon gem Rayan Cherki, with an enquiry even lodged by the Reds over the availability of the entertaining attacker.
It was stated that Cherki could be allowed to head for the exit door out of the Ligue 1 giants for around just £20m, which is an amount Slot’s men would happily pay to land the exciting forward.
But, that switch might have to wait until the end of the season instead of getting over the line at the death, with this move one to keep an eye out on in case a last-gasp development takes place.
Regardless of whether a deal gets wrapped up at the 11th hour – with Liverpool reacting to Borussia Dortmund’s reported interest – or remains in the pipeline for a future date, landing the enigmatic 21-year-old at some point would undoubtedly boost the Merseyside club’s already spellbinding attack.
The Reds might well even end up signing their very own version of Cole Palmer if the dazzling Frenchman’s performances in Ligue 1 are anything to go by.
Why Cherki could be Liverpool's own Palmer
The self-assured skills of Cherki – a “future Ballon d’Or winner” in the eyes of The Athletic’s Alex Barker – bear a lot of similarities to the coolness Palmer exudes week in week out lining up for Enzo Maresca’s men.
But, it’s also his ability to fire home an opportunity – which has seen Palmer ridiculously boast 20 goal contributions already in the Premier League – after all that showboating that further builds up a case that the in-demand 21-year-old could become Liverpool’s own iteration of the Blues superstar.
In Ligue 1 action this season, the Lyon number 18 has helped himself to an impressive three goals and three assists from ten league starts, with a further seven goal contributions coming his way in the Europa League and Coupe de France when running more and more defences ragged.
Their comparative FBref numbers below further highlight how alike they are as both silky yet daring operators of the ball, with the likes of Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo no doubt loving life at Anfield even more if Cherki was supplying chances for them.
|
Cherki vs Palmer – last 365 days |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Stat – per 90 mins |
Cherki |
Palmer |
|
Total shots |
3.03 |
3.79 |
|
Shot-creating actions |
7.77 |
6.13 |
|
Progressive passes |
9.79 |
6.02 |
|
Progressive carries |
5.01 |
3.90 |
|
Successful take-ons |
4.32 |
1.58 |
|
Touches in attacking penalty area |
7.17 |
4.44 |
|
Progressive passes received |
8.46 |
6.41 |
|
Stats by FBref |
||
Amazingly, Cherki actually betters Palmer in a lot of their attacking metrics across the last year, with more take-ons successfully managed by the Lyon ace when contrasted with the Chelsea number 20 among other glowing statistics.
Once labelled as an “outrageous” player to watch by football journalist Dean Jones, Liverpool will hope they aren’t beaten to Cherki’s signature anytime soon, with the prospect of winning such an entertaining talent for just £20m a dream late move for all involved.
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