Liverpool and the campaign to defend the throne

By making an offer to sign Newcastle's Alexander Isak for $150 million, Liverpool showed strong determination on their journey to defend their No. 1 position in English football.

After winning the Premier League title convincingly last season, Liverpool has been making careful preparations to maintain its position as the number 1 team in the foggy island nation. With the leadership of new coach Arne Slot, the Merseyside team has shown great ambition by spending a lot of money on the transfer market with plans to strengthen all three lines.

As of mid-July, Liverpool had spent nearly $250 million on three quality new recruits. They were attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz ($145 million), left-back Milos Kerkez ($54 million) and right-back Jeremie Frimpong ($46 million). These were all strategic signings, promising to increase creativity and speed for the "Red Brigade" in the new season.

Liverpool fans expect to have a brand new attacking duo Florian Wirtz - Alexander Isak (right). Photo: LIVERPOOLFC

The Anfield team's ambitions do not stop there. After selling the trio of Jarell Quansah, Caoimhín Kelleher and especially the mainstay defender Trent Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool earned about 69 million USD. This source of income helps them to be more generous in recruiting high-class strikers, replacing Darwin Nunez as well as the short-lived star Diogo Jota.

Liverpool's top target is Alexander Isak. The Kop are willing to spend $150 million to sign the Swedish striker - who scored 27 goals and had 6 assists for Newcastle last season. However, the deal depends on Isak's decision to stay or leave, because Newcastle are in the lead in negotiations.

If they cannot get Isak's signature, Liverpool will turn to Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt. The young French striker has a similar physique, playing style and is equally effective. However, "The Kop" will face direct competition from... Newcastle in this deal, as "The Magpies" also want to bring Ekitike to play alongside Isak.

Not stopping there, Liverpool also targeted Rodrygo - Real Madrid's versatile attacking star. In the context of Luis Diaz facing an uncertain future at Anfield, "The Kop" considered the Brazilian international an ideal addition. They were willing to pay 100 million euros (equivalent to 109 million USD) to convince Real Madrid to release him, although they would have to compete with Arsenal and Bayern Munich.

Besides the superstars, coach Arne Slot also targets Jean-Philippe Mateta - a striker with a "classic" playing style as commented by former player Thierry Henry - currently playing for Crystal Palace. With a price tag of only about 30 million euros, the French striker is considered a quality option for the bench. Thierry Henry once commented that Mateta is "a scary old-fashioned striker" - suitable for the pragmatic football philosophy that Arne Slot pursues.

According to Forbes, Liverpool has a large budget thanks to the revenue from the Premier League title and Champions League qualification, allowing them to invest heavily while still complying with the Premier League's financial regulations (PSR). It is clear that the "Red Brigade" is not only determined to defend the English championship but also aims to conquer Europe in the 2025-2026 season.

After losing Arnold, Jota and a series of key players, Liverpool is entering a period of strong reconstruction. The deals involving Isak, Mateta, Rodrygo or Ekitike, if successful, will cost Liverpool no less than 400 million USD in the summer transfer window of 2025 - breaking all records in the history of English football.

Source: https://nld.com.vn/liverpool-va-chien-dich-bao-ve-ngoi-vuong-196250717195058843.htm