LEEDS, ENGLAND - JANUARY 16: Raphinha of Leeds United looks on during the Premier League match between Leeds United and Brighton & Hove Albion at Elland Road on January 16, 2021 in Leeds, England. Sporting stadiums around England remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Peter Powell - Pool/Getty Images)
According to Goal (h/t Mirror), Liverpool have set their sights on Leeds United winger Raphinha for the summer. The Reds are keen to strengthen their attack, which has been misfiring this season. With a title defence all but over, it could be time for Liverpool to look at options for next season.
Clearly, Liverpool’s defence has been the problem this season. They have conceded a mammoth 32 goals in 24 games so far. However, their attack hasn’t been at its usual best either. Liverpool have scored 45 goals so far this season, their numbers from the previous three seasons show that this is not the level they usually operate at.
The Reds had scored 54 goals in the 2017/18 season at this stage, 55 goals in the 2018/19 season, and 56 goals last season.
The once fluid trio of Salah, Mane and Firmino have struggled at times this season. After thrashing Crystal Palace 7-0 at Selhurst Park, Liverpool scored just one goal in the following 5 games. This is not something synonymous with the Reds and they could use some help in this kind of situations.
They failed to score at home against Manchester United, Brighton and Burnley. While Firmino was never the one to bag too many goals, the situation has not been helped by Mane becoming less effective too. The Senegalese star has just 7 goals to his name this season so far. He had 11 goals and 8 assists after 24 games last season. Clearly, this is a drop in performance.
Their biggest threat this season was Diogo Jota, who was scoring goals at a rapid rate before getting injured.
The fringe players haven’t done anything to help the issue either. The likes of Divock Origi, Takumi Minamino (now out on loan) and Xherdan Shaqiri have not taken their chances when given. Thus, adding another attacker would help Jurgen Klopp.
It’s not without reason that Raphinha finds himself at the centre of attention. The Brazilian winger has been in sensational form for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds side. He is a part of an exciting attacking unit assembled at Elland Road and is one of the reasons why Leeds score so many goals and are a treat to watch.
More than his 4 goals and 5 assists in the league, it is the attacking impetus he brings to the side that is more vital. He likes to take on his opponents and dribble past them. Just ask Gary Cahill who got nutmegged in an embarrassing fashion by the 24-year-old.
This is the sort of initiative Liverpool need at times. Their attack has struggled in patches this season. The addition of an exciting attacker like Raphinha could be the boost they need to deal with the cracks.
Given that he is just a few months into his Leeds stint, the Express claims that the Whites would likely demand around £25m for their prized asset. It wouldn’t hurt Liverpool much to splash that amount on one of Premier League’s most talked about attackers.