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The talk about the upcoming transfer window has been Liverpool’s strong ties to RB Leipzig leader Timo Werner.
Reds legend Jamie Carragher recently said Liverpool “needs a superior attacker”, and that they could do much worse than the 24-year-old German international.
Werner has scored 27 goals and assisted another 12 for Leipzig this season, and has spoken of his admiration for Liverpool. “A lot of things suggest that maybe it would fit [at Liverpool] very well with my style of play, “he said.
But with so much uncertainty surrounding football thanks to the coronavirus outbreak, there is no guarantee that Liverpool can complete the deal.
If that’s the case, who else could Michael Edwards target to add options to the Reds’ formidable front line?
Donyell Malen, PSV Eindhoven
The 21-year-old Dutchman was previously on the Arsenal books, but was sold to PSV in August 2017 before appearing in the first team.
He is currently recovering from knee surgery, but before that he scored 11 and assisted two in 14 Eredivisie appearances this season.
Player comparison website smarterscout considers Donyell Malen to be the closest match to Werner playing in one of the major European leagues this season, according to various statistics.
He appears to have a similar skill set, even if he’s too young to have an immediate impact on Anfield.
Alassane’s appeal, Borussia Mönchengladbach
If Malen is too young, Alassane Plea may be a little old for Liverpool’s taste. At 27, the French international is only about a year younger than the Reds’ fearsome frontline.
However, he is another player who, according to Smarterscout, has performed similarly to Werner’s in 2019/20, and appears to be creatively excellent.
Having set 16 clear opportunities this season, Plea is just ahead of players like Kai Havertz and Jadon Sancho, and only behind Thomas Muller and Serge Gnabry in the Bundesliga standings.
Federico Chiesa (Fiorentina)
Federico Chiesa is already rumored to be at the center of a transfer bidding war, with Manchester United and Chelsea on the run to sign him this summer.
The 22-year-old has made 19 of his 23 Serie starts as a central striker in 2019/20, but prior to this season he was most commonly in wide-forward positions. Like Werner, he is versatile and capable of playing on the front line.
His numbers of six goals and three assists in the league this season may seem modest, but Fiorentina has struggled at times in 2019/20, winning just seven games. On a stronger side, Chiesa should flourish.
Domenico Berardi (Sassuolo)
Once considered one of Italy’s most popular young talents, Domenico Berardi has only played for Sassuolo. They’re not one of the best Serie A teams, and they’ve only finished in the top half of the league once since they got promotion in 2013.
That hasn’t stopped Berardi from winning five titles for Italy, and the 25-year-old seems destined for bigger and better things. He is more used to playing to the right of the attack, but he has also played centrally and also to the left.
Berardi has similar creativity numbers to Werner, and has only created one less clear opportunity in 2019/20.
Bertrand Traore (Lyon)
Where Malen was once with Arsenal, Bertrand Traore was previously at Chelsea, and actually made 16 first-team appearances before continuing.
According to Smarterscout, his statistical profile for Lyon in 2017/18, although from a sample of just 552 minutes, was very similar to Werner’s for this season.
Traore tends to be on the right wing these days, though he has made 69 appearances as a central forward throughout his career, scoring 38 goals and assisting 11.
He has experience in the Champions League and could provide an alternative to Werner if Liverpool cannot complete that agreement.
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