Liverpool plan on defending their newly claimed Premier League title next season, having defied expectations to dominantly dethrone Manchester City after four years, brushing injury-hit Arsenal aside in the race for the top spot.

Few expected Arne Slot’s side to challenge this year, having just been dealt the bitter blow of Jurgen Klopp’s departure, the iconic manager stepping down after nearly nine years at the helm.

Football can be fickle, however, and the detractors will be out in force come autumn, waiting for the Merseysiders to stumble. That’s why FSG have moved incisively to back their head coach and strengthen a number of areas.

Liverpool’s full-back berths have been shored up, even with Trent Alexander-Arnold now playing in Real Madrid’s white jersey, and Florian Wirtz is on the brink of signing for the English giants.

Negotiations with Bayer Leverkusen have dragged on a bit, but all parties expect Wirtz to sign for the Anfield side, and for a British-record £120m fee at that.

And there’s even more still to come.

Liverpool's summer transfer plans

Wirtz is a one-of-a-kind attacking midfielder, regarded by sports media professional Cristian Nyari to be a “truly generational talent.”

However, he alone won’t restore the equilibrium of Liverpool’s frontline. Darwin Nunez is “planning to leave”, as per Fabrizio Romano, and Liverpool are doing due diligence on a number of strikers, the likes of which include Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Ekitike and Benjamin Sesko of RB Leipzig. Victor Osimhen’s name has also been mentioned.

Liverpool, furthermore, could lose one of their major attacking cogs, Luis Diaz, who is being courted by Barcelona and Saudi side Al Nassr. Barcelona have already seen an approach rebuffed.

Should Diaz, who is entering the second-to-last year of his contract, leave, Liverpool will need to source a replacement, and they might just have found the man for the job.

Liverpool plotting move for Premier League star

As per TEAMtalk, Liverpool are considering making their move for Newcastle United wide forward Anthony Gordon, who has been valued at £80m.

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The winger is said to be ‘extremely happy’ at St James’ Park, although he would be ‘very keen’ on returning to Merseyside, with Liverpool ‘confident of striking a deal’, despite the lack of ‘club-to-club contact’ with the Magpies as yet.

It feels unlikely Gordon would arrive if Diaz stays put, but this could be a neat replacement for a 28-year-old who appears open to leaving, especially since, for Gordon, it would be a homecoming, having left Liverpool’s academy aged 11.

Liverpool will continue to prepare their offer until Diaz’s future is resolved, but should the Colombian leave, the Magpies ace is the top target.

Why Liverpool should sign Anthony Gordon

Last summer, Liverpool explored an opportunity to sign Gordon after his tremendous 2023/24 campaign for Newcastle, notching 28 goal contributions across all competitions.

However, the Magpies found alternative ways to avoid financial repercussions from the Premier League, and he stayed put.

Now, though, the potential sale of Diaz could see the Reds return, maybe enticing the boyhood Liverpool fan to make the move back to Merseyside and combine with a fellow new recruit in Wirtz, who might just hold the key to a new level of performance on the 24-year-old Gordon’s part.

Diaz can prove a tricky opponent for even the meanest of defences, and in that regard, Gordon could be the perfect replacement, having described himself as being “a nightmare for anyone”.

His pace and athleticism are exactly what Liverpool need to keep their left flank firing on all cylinders, and with Wirtz pulling the strings from the middle, it might be the start of a truly special partnership.

Wirtz’s blend of creativity, hard graft and dribbling is enough to raise the game of any forward teammates, including that of Gordon, who perhaps hasn’t reached the same heights on Tyneside across his second full season.

Injury and suspension have come together to prove a hindrance for the Three Lions star across the latter half of the season, but he’s now a Carabao Cup champion and played his part in pulling Newcastle back into the Champions League.

Moreover, there’s enough there to suggest Wirtz could elevate him to the next level. Indeed, former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes has described the German international as being “probably the best midfielder in the world.”

Matches (starts)

35 (34)

34 (28)

Goals

11

6

Assists

10

5

Shots (on target)*

2.3 (0.9)

1.7 (0.6)

Pass completion

82%

81%

Key passes*

1.6

1.5

Big chances created

16

6

Dribbles*

1.5

1.1

Ball recoveries*

3.6

2.9

Tackles + interceptions*

1.8

1.1

Duels (won)*

5.3 (49%)

4.4 (52%)

So then, such a player would be perfect to bring Gordon back to life. The Leverkusen sensation, after all, ranked among the top 2% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Bundesliga last year for assists, the top 6% for shot-creating actions, the top 5% for progressive passes and progressive carries, and the top 3% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The high-level consistency across so many different metrics really does make a conclusive comment on the calibre of player Liverpool could be getting with Wirtz, and if fielded alongside Gordon, Slot could have a duo for the ages, capable of leading the club to another sustained spell of glory, challenging every year for the biggest prizes.

For now, we can only wait for the movements concerning Diaz’s future at Liverpool. But given the proactive start to the summer that sporting director Richard Hughes is overseeing, you wouldn’t bet against levers having been put in place to make a move for Gordon in the coming weeks, bringing him back to Anfield after so many years.

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