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Liverpool urged to copy Chelsea's Mykhaylo Mudryk deal and 'break bank' in double swoop
Chelsea gazumped Arsenal to sign Mykhaylo Mudryk in an £88million transfer.
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Liverpool have been told they need to replicate Chelsea’s blockbuster £88million transfer of Mykhaylo Mudryk and sign two players to bolster Jurgen Klopp's options. Graham Potter’s side hijacked Arsenal’s move for the Ukrainian winger and convinced him to make the move to Stamford Bridge as Todd Boehly and co have not been afraid to spend big since taking charge last year.
Liverpool’s midfield issues have been highlighted further this season, recently shown against Brighton as the Reds lost 3-0 on the south coast on Saturday. Only Thiago, Fabio Carvalho and Arthur Melo have moved to Anfield as midfield options since Georginio Wijnaldum left on a free transfer to Paris Saint-Germain and many believe that Liverpool have missed the Netherlands star sorely.
England World Cup star Jude Bellingham has been eyed as the club’s top target for the summer, but ex-Reds midfielder Don Hutchinson has urged his former club to copy Chelsea’s Mudryk pursuit and “break the bank” for two midfield targets.
“Fair play to Chelsea when they want a player they break the bank for him,” Hutchinson tweeted. “That’s what Jurgen Klopp needs at Liverpool go break the bank for [Declan] Rice + Bellingham….”
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Bellingham is expected to cost his next club over £100m in the summer, while Liverpool will face competition from Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea and PSG to sign the teenager. His England team-mate Rice may be more attainable in the summer, as West Ham are reportedly resigned to losing their captain amid a disappointing season under David Moyes.
Rice is hoping to challenge at the top end of the table and play Champions League football, while he could cost significantly less than the Hammers’ initial £150m price tag that was set in April.
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One stumbling block, outside of the astronomical figures that signing both Bellingham and Rice would require, is that both players will want to play in Europe’s top competition next season. Liverpool are currently ninth in the Premier League table, seven points behind Newcastle in fourth and recent performances have suggested that they are unlikely to qualify for next season’s Champions League.
Cody Gakpo moved to Anfield this month but more reinforcements may be needed to get the Reds into top-four contention, but Klopp doubted that more signings would be made. “I don’t think so,” Klopp admitted when asked if more additions would be made in January. “The situation is like it is. We have to talk about it because you ask me about it but, in the end, my job is to use the boys I have – that’s it.
“I like the teams we line up [with], but when we start changing you realise up front we don’t have three, four, five options and if we have options, they get pretty young immediately. That’s fine but it’s the situation and you cannot solve all the problems in the transfer window. I know in a dreamland, you just buy players and bring them in but I don’t see that coming.”