11 Apr 2021 10:07:18
It's been mentioned that Ricky-Jade Jones is a possible signing this summer. He definitely looks a good prospect at 18, but not sure it really threatens Origi in the short term. If Liverpool are scouting the lower leagues for talent, i hope they take a look at Adam Armstrong (24) or Ivan Toney (25).

Armstrong has 21 goals in 35 games, and Toney has 29 in 39. There is a Danny Ings look about Armstrong. He'd be my preferred choice as he links up well with Elliott, is slightly younger, but more importantly his attitude to defending from the front is superb.

They both count as Homegrown and i think either would be good replacements for Origi and Minamino. They're the best 2 strikers in the country outside of the Prem. Pukki might have a fair shout but the Norwich team he plays in makes it easier for him to score goals, certainly than Armstrong at Blackburn. Toney gets good service at Brentford though.

There is talent in the leagues below. James Justin is the best recent example. He was arguably Leicester's best player pre-injury. Ollie Watkins, Ezri Konsa and Matty Cash at Villa have been good too.

I know a lot of people have their heart set on Patson Daka, but that does nothing for our homegrown problems and i don't think the Austrian League is stronger than the Championship personally. I've never seen Daka play so i might be massively under rating him. He's also another who'd be off to the AFCON though.

This is just an opinion post by the way. Not suggesting either will sign as i know they're probably nothing more than random names. I just generally think we could do better with scouting the lower leagues rather than waiting for players to join another Prem team and their price tag sky rockets. Joe Gomez didn't work out too bad did he. It'd also be nice to have another natural finisher if Firmino is going to play more as a number 10 in the future.

1.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 10:37:13
Aah the dreaded homegrown problems.

2.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 10:40:55
I can actually see your point however why would either one of Armstrong or Toney come to Liverpool to play 10 games a season. I don't know if that would actually happen but if we're talking like for like it is pretty much the reality. Let's say the main 4 stay, add Elliott in and in my opinion bring in someone good enough to be starting so we have 5 genuine quality players that can rotate. Not obsessed with Man City but it is what they have, Chelsea also for that matter. One of two mentioned names could fit that bill by the way, it would be unfair to dismiss an opinion. But as ever there is only one opinion that counts and that is Klopps, thus why I usually don't involved in transfer talk. My only interest is when a player is confirmed as a Liverpool player personally.

3.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 11:00:31
Istanbul, yeah i don't know if they would to be honest so it'sa great point. I'd be happy with Ricky-Jade Jones. He's only 18 and a huge talent. But as you say we need a player who can push the current attackers and i'm not sure he's quite ready to do that. Plus we already have so many talented youngsters around the 16-18 age group. Origi and Minamino are the problems for me. They were in that mid twenties age group with Jota, that we need to phase out the front 3 in the coming years. Neither look good enough though so i think we should be targeting players to replace them. Origi and Minamino would play a lot more than 10 games if they weren't so painfully average. There are about 60 games a season now and i think most players accept that 30-40 appearances is the new normal at a top team trying to fight on all fronts.

They were just two examples though to be honest. Sure we could look to a player like Watkins or Neto. But why not go get a player who is on the same path as them before they're worth £30-50m? Finances are so tight that i really think the scouting department need to earn their money in the summer. As Ed0666 said yesterday, we need something of a mini rebuild and we don't have the money to buy 5 players at £50m each.

4.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 11:14:20
Ivan Toney has actually said on record that he’s desperate to play for us, so I don’t think there’s much of a problem persuading him!

5.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 11:30:48
II. Big wad of cash might persuade them to only play 10 games a season.

6.) 11 Apr 2021
11 Apr 2021 12:54:44
I didn't know that 6times. He has 10 assists this year too. So 39 goal involvements in 39 games. Toney is probably the better player. He could arguably even be a long term starter if he continues on his current upward trajectory. It's not too different to the likes of Wilson, Watkins, Ings, Vardy and Even Kane who all had to do their time in the football league before they got a chance in the Premier League. A goalscorer who frequently sticks it in the corners doesn't care what logo is on the football. The goals are the same size at every level.