FSG in the race to seal big-money £123m signing for Liverpool

Liverpool now look to be out of the dreadful patch of form that very nearly cost Arne Slot his job.

The Reds are deep in a five-game unbeaten streak in all competitions, and while Premier League draws to Leeds United and Sunderland will have stung somewhat, Slot and Co will still take a lot of confidence from back-to-back wins over Inter Milan and Brighton & Hove Albion in December so far.

Even Mo Salah is back in action under the Dutchman, after a public falling out, as he collected an assist late on against the Seagulls that helped his resurgent side to secure a 2-0 win over Fabian Hurzeler’s tricky visitors.

He will soon be off to the African Cup of Nations with Egypt, though, with the January transfer window also arriving on the Reds’ agenda very shortly, past the bumper Christmas fixture period to come.

Where Liverpool could strengthen in January

Despite the recent upturn in form at Anfield, Slot will surely still be keen on adding a few new signings to the mix in January.

Indeed, rumours continue to suggest that the reigning Premier League champions are hunting down reinforcements in the centre-back department, courtesy of Marc Guehi. On top of interest in the Crystal Palace titan, other reports are also coming to the surface that Liverpool is targeting Borussia Dortmund giant Nico Schlotterbeck to boost personnel at the back further.

Alongside their continued interest in Guehi, Liverpool also remain in the intense race to land his former teammate in Bayern Munich ace Michael Olise.

However, a new development from TEAMtalk suggests that it won’t be a straightforward tussle to win.

According to the site, Olise is not opposed to a move to Spain, with Real Madrid and Barcelona circling, as the former Palace winger opts to keep his options open.

Liverpool is also noted as being long-term admirers of the £123m-rated attacker, with Slot potentially winning himself another version of Hugo Ekitike if the Reds were to accelerate to the front of the queue for his services, as another talent who has ripped the Bundesliga to shreds potentially takes the Premier League by storm.

After all, Olise is already very much used to putting away goals for fun in England, like the ex-Eintracht Frankfurt marksman…

How Olise can be another Ekitike

While Alexander Isak continues to flop on Merseyside, Ekitike has risen the ranks to be the dependable goalscoring hero Slot needs to lead the line, with back-to-back braces in Premier League action this December.

He’s certainly living up to his “goal machine” label that was handed to him in the summer by Reds correspondent David Lynch, with the £69m signing entering the hectic English game off the back of a 26-goal spell for Frankfurt. With seven goals already next to his name in his new colours, that price tag has more than been justified.

Olise has a far weightier price tag to live up to, but he also boasts ridiculous numbers in Bavaria, with his frightening ability to bamboozle defenders for fun with his pace, alongside his coolness in front of goal to finish off chances, seeing Bayern teammate Serge Gnabry hail him as “one of the best players in the world” earlier this season.

The numbers don’t lie, with the 13-time France international already up to a staggering nine goals and 14 assists for the season, with Ekitike surely licking his lips at the prospect of lining up alongside the Bundesliga-based talent, if he makes a long-awaited return to the Premier League happen.

There will be no worries in the air regarding Olise’s ability to come into the Premier League and instantly settle, like his fellow compatriot, with the 24-year-old “magician” – as another of his teammates in Dayot Upamecano labelled him – already 36 goal contributions down in the English top-flight, when previously calling Selhurst Park home.

With talk still centring on Salah leaving, too, Olise really does feel as if he could be the statement replacement Slot and Co are crying out for, as the big bucks are splashed on another entertaining forward from Germany.

There will be some apprehension on Liverpool’s end regarding the bumper price tag, with Isak costing a club-record £125m, only to now warm the substitutes bench.

But, with Olise in some red-hot form at the moment under Vincent Kompany’s wing, it does have all the makings of being a stunning purchase, as another Ekitike-like gem is unearthed that can push Liverpool even further up the table.