The transfer dealings of Liverpool have generated significant interest, particularly the move involving the Reds and winger Gordon. The proposed agreement valued him at £75 million, with a plan to send Joe Gomez in the opposite direction for £45 million. However, this deal fell through when the Magpies decided not to proceed.
Mark Lawrenson, a celebrated former Anfield centre-back and once a coach at Newcastle, provided insights into Liverpool’s strategies. He anticipates Liverpool will reinvigorate their pursuit of Gordon next summer. Reflecting on the situation, Lawrenson noted how the speculation surrounding the England international elicited a positive reaction from existing players Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo, who are vying for a spot under Arne Slot, the new manager.
Lawrenson said, “He’s got great ability, and has learned how to play football properly. I don’t think there’s any doubt about that whatsoever. He knows what’s expected of him and he’s lightning quick. He has done Arne Slot a bit of a favour this season because Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo have got their heads down and thought ‘crikey, if he turns up on the doorstep we might not be playing on a regular basis’. Slot won’t be bothered too much if somebody knocks on his door and asks why they aren’t playing. He’ll just say ‘we are winning almost every week and the lads in your position are scoring, so hang on’. It’s basically like the old days at present. You knew if you got injured, you might not be back regularly in the team for a long time as others had stepped up.”
While the Gordon deal lapsed, Liverpool managed only one new signing for the season, Federico Chiesa from Juventus. Reflecting on future plans, Lawrenson offers his thoughts on the current strategy and prospects for next summer.
Lawrenson added, “I absolutely 100% feel as though this is a season where Slot is taking stock of the squad he has inherited, and next summer will be one where Liverpool make far more moves in the transfer window. Slot is in a great position where he has a really, really good squad already. He’ll want to tinker with it a bit this season, see what is possible and then recruit next summer and hope that things are even better. I’m not surprised by how well Liverpool have been doing this season because we have outstanding players. You might think we maybe need an extra central midfielder player, but it’s a great job for the new manager to have. I mean, what’s he had to do to change much? He’s basically said ‘same as last year, boys’. He’s tweaked little things which are good and it’s helped Liverpool start really well.”
Lawrenson also remarks on the legacy of success under former manager Jurgen Klopp and the seamless transition to Arne Slot. Comparing it to his experiences in the 1980s with Liverpool, he underscores some managerial continuities and small tweaks enhancing the club’s fortunes.
Lawrenson said, “It didn’t feel any different. Well, maybe when Kenny took over it was slightly different as he brought us into the present century in a way rather than what it was before! It seems remarkable to say this, but we never used to work at set-pieces or free-kicks or anything like that. It would be a case of Joe saying ‘you lot work it out for yourselves, you’re all good players’. Kenny, though, did some different things, only small things like staying in a hotel before a game. That made a difference. That’s perhaps all that was needed at the time. There didn’t need to be a massive overhaul, just a few minor tweaks. And that’s what the current new boss is doing now.”
