Liverpool have been told they should not think twice about signing an Arsenal star who would become a “major part of the side” under Arne Slot and amid claims Mikel Arteta is seeking to sign an upgrade for this summer.
The Merseysiders are preparing for what they hope will be a bright new era with Dutch coach Slot set to be confirmed as new manager once the Jurgen Klopp reign comes to an end, with his emotional farewell at Anfield now just a matter of a few days away. There will likely not be a dry eye in the building when the charismatic boss does exit down the tunnel for the final time after Sunday’s Premier League clash between Liverpool and Wolves.
And how departing Feyenoord coach Slot does in his place will be one of the big stories of interest over the course of the 2024/25 campaign, especially given the sizeable shoes the 45-year-old will be stepping into.
Working alongside Slot to ensure the post Klopp era does not disappoint is the returning Michael Edwards, appointed in a shiny new CEO of football role, which effectively puts him right at the top of the football tree at Anfield.
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And while Slot is not due to officially start work until July 1, the two men have already held discussions over what their summer transfer plans should look like.
To that end, Slot is understood to have advised Edwards that he would like the club to strengthen in three key positions: central defence, central midfield and left-back.
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However, there is a school of thought that suggests Slot could also look to strengthen in attack too and that need could be exasperated amid doubts over the long-term futures of a number of their leading lights, including Mo Salah, Darwin Nunez and Luis Diaz.
The departure of Nunez in attack – those claims having been put under the spotlight after the Uruguayan took the unusual step of deleting all photos of his time at Liverpool on Instagram – would leave Slot with a sizeable gap to fill.
And the incoming Reds manager has been told he could do far worse than target a move for Arsenal star Gabriel Jesus, who could find himself replaced in attack this summer by Mikel Arteta.
The Brazilian is not a prolific goalscorer, hence Arteta’s desire to sign a new No 9, having only netted eight times in 35 appearances this season.
While Arteta would prefer to offload Eddie Nketiah, with sources revealing to TEAMtalk that his name has been circulated to a number of prospective suitors, a sizeable offer for Jesus could yet twist their arm.
And where that to happen, former Liverpool and Chelsea man Glen Johnson, in conversation with Betfred, reckons both his former clubs should jump at the chance of a deal.
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“I would be surprised if Arsenal do actually want to sell him because I think that would be crazy. If he does become available, either Chelsea or Liverpool should bite their arm off,” Johnson said.
“He’s not going to get you 25-goals-a-season, but he’s going to be a big part of the team and he works his socks off. In front of goal, he’s going to score a lot of goals at a club like that where he’ll get a lot of opportunities.
“If Arsenal do let him go, then Chelsea and Liverpool should absolutely jump at the chance.”
Despite his lack of goals this season, the 27-year-old does boast an impressive career record, having scored 142 times in 387 career games – a strikerate of a goal every 2.7 appearances.