Liverpool appear to have lost the race to sign Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, but the links to the winger have at least showcased that the club will continue to prioritise top targets, Reds expert David Lynch has argued.
Reports emerged this week that Kvaratskhelia is close to joining Paris Saint-Germain in a blow to Arne Slot, who was said to be keen on reinforcing his attack.
Federico Chiesa is Arne Slot's only first-team addition in 2024-25 as it stands, and some fans are worried that the squad may not be able to cope with the intensity of competing on multiple fronts as the season progresses.
However, Lynch emphasised that it would not be surprising to see Liverpool increasingly target players such as Kvaratskhelia despite their hefty price tags, telling Sports Mole: "Speaking to people around Liverpool, the suggestion was that they [wanted] to be in the mix because he's a player they've liked for a long time, but it was said that a lot would have to happen [for him to sign].
"Liverpool [aren't] short of money - you can see in the accounts that they're very tightly drawn. They don't overspend, so they've always got capacity in there to go for a big transfer when it comes up, and if it's a player they're desperate to get in, they will go to those big numbers. I'm not too concerned in terms of [if an expensive deal] would take away from the budget for another position.
"In terms of opening spaces up in the squad, there are question marks over a few players. [Kvaratskhelia] would have been [the club] getting ahead of things, and [he's] the type of signing we'll see Liverpool make more frequently now this new recruitment regime is there - it's all about getting ahead of things."
Liverpool face the prospect of losing Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk for free in the summer, and the club may be forced to look for expensive, high-profile replacements if they wish to replicate the trio's impact.
Do Liverpool need to reinforce in attack?
Liverpool drew 1-1 with Nottingham Forest on Tuesday evening in the Premier League, and while opposition goalkeeper Matz Sels made a number of impressive saves, the Reds struggled to finish their chances in front of goal.
Salah failed to register either a goal or an assist for just the third time in 20 Premier League games this season, and it should perhaps concern Slot that the team are still so reliant on the Egyptian to be productive in the final third.
Speaking to Sports Mole, Lynch does not believe that Liverpool necessarily need to prioritise strengthening in the forward line despite the reliance on Salah, but also refused to rule out reinforcements, saying: "Liverpool are not short in attack. The question mark comes up in terms of why would they [sign Kvaratskhelia], and the reasoning behind that would be there are a few players in that attacking lineup that you think there are question marks over.
"Luis Diaz will be two years from the end of his contract coming into this summer, Jota the same - [also his] injury record. Darwin Nunez I think will move on this summer, so there was potential to get ahead of that and move for a player that they'd liked for a long time.
"Until PSG get it over the line, I wouldn't quite rule it out just because we've seen with Luis Diaz's move to Liverpool - they waited for Tottenham to fully agree a fee and think that they got the player before they swooped in. [I'll] wait till he's holding up the PSG shirt before I rule this one out because it's an interesting one. He is someone they've liked for a long time."
Salah has scored 18 times and produced 13 assists in the league so far, and has been directly responsible for 31 of Liverpool's 47 top-flight goals, so ensuring that there is not as much pressure on him to win matches would be a sensible idea.
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Where should Liverpool target in January and the summer?
Liverpool have been much more vulnerable defensively in recent weeks than they were at the beginning of the season given they have conceded 14 goals in their last 11 games, whereas they had only conceded 12 times in their first 20 matches of 2024-25.
Defender Andrew Robertson has come under scrutiny for his performances this campaign, while midfielder Ryan Gravenberch has looked exhausted at the base of midfield.
Lynch was keen to highlight that the club are aware of the gaps in their squad, and argued that links to Kvaratskhelia prove that Liverpool are willing to act opportunistically, telling Sports Mole: "They recognise that a left-back's got to come in in the next couple of windows. Central midfield is still an area that the manager thinks he could strengthen.
"I think [links to Kvaratskhelia] show that if a central midfielder they like came on the market in this window that they will be absolutely ready to move. [The Kvaratskhelia rumours] had similarities to the Mamardashvili move in terms of signing a player you don't quite need yet, but they don't want to miss that opportunity.
"If it does fizzle out and it doesn't become anything, I think we've got a clear indication there of what Liverpool's decision on it is."
While fans have been critical of the club's lack of expenditure compared to other teams in the past years, the Reds have also been praised for often landing the right players, and there is little doubt that Liverpool will make a move should one of their preferred targets become available.
Lewis Nolan
