The key to a successful player trading model isn’t just about developing youngsters its about knowing when to sell key players, a skill Liverpool have mastered.
It is almost impossible to stop players like Trent Alexander-Arnold from seeing out their contracts, however, with Luis Diaz set to leave for Bayern Munich, it is the latest indication that the club is in safe hands under the guidance of Richard Hughes
Diaz won’t be easy to replace though, and not just because of his goal or assist ratio of one every two games in the Premier League – give or take – it’s because of his work rate, intensity and attitude both in and out of possession. Which could be why Liverpool have been linked with £100m-rated Anthony Gordon.
With just six goals and six assists in 34 Premier League appearances last season, Gordon fell below his own standards in terms of what he classes as a top player and the sort of winger that Liverpool need to replace Diaz.
Speaking to Gary Neville on The Overlap last season, the former Everton forward set the levels for what sort of numbers he should be getting:
“It’s difficult, really, because as much as I do love goal-setting, I’ve never really put a set number on goals, because, let’s say, I put 10 at the start of the year. If I get to 10 now, I want it to 15. So it just never stops, and I don’t think you can put a goal on that. I just wanna keep doing the things leading up to the goal, which results in a goal, and that’s the important thing. But I think to be a top winger, numbers do matter. It’s all that matters nowadays.”
“So you’re talking like 15 goals, 10 assists. If you wanna be a top player, I think, on a consistent basis, as a minimum,” Neville replied. “Yeah. Eddie’s so relentless for putting that much pressure on you to succeed. I belong here. This is me level.”
Gordon can match Diaz in terms of effort and energy, but in terms of end product, Liverpool need so much more, even if he would be classed as a home-grown product. With a goal or assist every three games compared to Diaz’s one in two, the numbers speak for themselves, even if the assumption would be that the Magpies winger would improve in a more attack-minded and dominant team.
Would Gordon walking on broken glass to sign for Liverpool?
Coming from a family of Liverpool fans, despite his connection to the blue half of the city, it is expected that Gordon would walk back to Merseyside to play for the club he loves. The 24-year old, speaking to The Chronicle, has suggested otherwise though, with the England international claiming that the need to move to a bigger club is an external concept:
“Because the club (Newcastle) has transitioned so quickly, other fans and other media outlets just pick the players… when we play well, it’s like ‘He’s got to move from Newcastle,’ but that’s not the reality. We’re fifth in the table, we’re a top club ourselves. It’s a load of rubbish, really.
“The project doesn’t really mean much to us, we all want to win now. People keep talking about the project from the outside because of how much the club has come on but that doesn’t really mean much to us. We’re trying to win now, we’re trying to win cups now, we’re trying to get back into the Champions League and if we do that then it’ll no longer be called a project will it because it’ll be what we want it to be.”
Whether or not Gordon would be as defensive should Hughes pick up the phone to his agent is another story.
