Jadon Sancho for some time now, has been a hot topic of conversation for Liverpool supporters.
TalkSPORT reported back in October that the Reds were ‘leading the race’ to sign the £108 million-rated player from Borussia Dortmund.
However, Sancho’s recent form raises questions in regards to whether he could be considered a guaranteed game-changer, should Liverpool pursue a move.
Last season, he scored 17 Bundesliga goals, and so far, this season, he has none.
Such a disappointing reign of form would certainly leave Liverpool rather reluctant to pay Dortmund’s nine-figure asking price.
Time is still on his side
At 20, there is every confidence that Sancho’s form will indeed pick up, however, it does warn Liverpool that such an eye-watering transfer fee does not guarantee success.
Just look at Kai Havertz at Chelsea. Last season, he clocked up 18 goals for Bayer Leverkusen and such devastating form warranted a £72 million price-tag.
Chelsea duly paid the asking price, and broke their transfer record in the process. Upon his move to England, he has struggled. He has just one league goal and assist to his name in 11 games under Frank Lampard.
Liverpool have proven that they are only prepared to spend big on transformative players such as Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker – Sancho’s recent struggles questions whether he would have a similar impact.
Such trepidation could be premature when you consider he has only played 17 times, and has scored twice in the Champions League this season.
The key point is that Liverpool cannot look at Sancho as a sure fire long-term solution in regards to the club’s forward-line succession plan.
An impossible task
Harvetz’s slow start at Stamford Bridge has been largely underplayed by the media. Perhaps there is understanding of the transition to English football. After-all, Timo Werner has hardly hit the ground running either.
However, such a luxury would not be afforded at Liverpool. The bar has been set too high by the club’s pedigreed front-three. Look at the impact Diogo Jota has already made this season.
If Sancho had signed for Liverpool, contributed one goal and one assist in 11 games, big questions would be thrown Jurgen Klopp’s way.
Such pressure would not be ideal for Sancho to succeed at Anfield, especially when you consider his age.
It’s often forgotten how early in his development the former Manchester City graduate is. The burden of a £108m price-tag on Sancho’s back doesn’t suit either parties at this stage.
In football there are rarely guarantees, yet Liverpool’s self-sustaining transfer model has proven so successful in recent years, that risks such as Sancho in this present moment are typically avoided.
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