Liverpool’s summer transfer business is starting to shape up as it becomes ever more clear who Arne Slot is targeting.
The Reds had been expected to be busy in the market and have kicked off the summer with the intention of strengthening in several areas.
Full-back was one of the more obvious areas for improvement, and Jeremie Frimpong’s arrival will help to soften the blow of Trent Alexander-Arnold’s exit.
Meanwhile, Milos Kerkez looks likely to join to offer help for Andy Robertson at left-back.
Florian Wirtz was more of a surprise target, but with Liverpool aiming to get more creativity into the team following the loss of Alexander-Arnold, maybe it should not have been a shock.
Once those three additions are in the bag, it feels more than likely that Liverpool will go after a central striker, too. But with potential targets beginning to drop like flies, it seems possible the Reds are lining up a secret player on the shortlist.
Liverpool could target Nick Woltemade
After a difficult season for Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez, a new striker signing feels like the most obvious way for Liverpool to improve their starting XI next term.
Plenty of players have been linked from Alexander Isak to Hugo Ekitike, but with every passing day those arrivals appear to get further away.
Reports have suggested Liverpool trail Chelsea for Ekitike, while Isak is unlikely to leave Newcastle. Arsenal are going all in for Benjamin Sesko, while if the Reds really wanted Viktor Gyokeres, they’d surely have made their move by now.
So, given other targets are seemingly not priorities or are unattainable, there is a chance Liverpool go a little off the beaten track for their new No. 9. Enter, Nick Woltemade.
Woltemade may be the best striker in Europe you’ve never heard of. Having hit 17 Bundesliga goals for Stuttgart last season, the 23-year-old made his Germany debut on Wednesday.
According to the German press, Woltemade could be sold for around £42m this summer and would provide Liverpool with a fascinating new addition.
Six feet six and with tricky touches and clinical finishing, perhaps Woltemade could be the ideal foil for compatriot Wirtz.
Florian Wirtz can take the pressure off Woltemade
As Rousing The Kop exclusively revealed in May, Liverpool are happy to spend big on two players this summer. There is an appetite to go for both Wirtz and Isak, for example.
However, given the likelihood of getting Isak is slim, and the other expensive options are not completely appealing, Liverpool going for someone like Woltemade cannot be ruled out.
The German would be far cheaper than players such as Ekitike or Sesko, but the arrival of Wirtz should help to take some of the goal-scoring and creative pressure from Woltemade.
As a result, Liverpool do not perhaps need to go for a big-name, big-money number nine. Instead, they can do what they have often done: bring in a slightly cheaper, younger option and develop him into a superstar.
“He’s certainly very tall,” Stuttgart manager Sebastian Hoeness said of Woltemade in March. “[But] the combination [of his other skills] is very special. He’s excellent on the ball, technically adept, and knows how to dribble through tight spaces. He rightly received a lot of recognition after that [U21] fixture against Spain.
“He can use height to keep opponents away from him with his arms. You can also play the ball high to him, and he can hold the ball up. He really has an extraordinary repertoire.“
There will be other options Liverpool are looking at no doubt, and they do preferably need a ‘plug and play’ striker who can make the difference now. But, failing that, Woltemade sounds like he’s worth keeping an eye on.
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