If it wasn’t clear already, Liverpool’s victory over Everton in the Merseyside has surely silenced the last whispers of doubt. There is no doubt: Arne Slot will lift the Premier League title in a few months
Leading the charge, of course, is Mohamed Salah, who has posted 27 goals and 17 assists in the top flight alone this term, a haul which has established him as European football’s runaway goal involvement leader this term
Leading the charge, of course, is Mohamed Salah, who has posted 27 goals and 17 assists in the top flight alone this term, a haul which has established him as European football’s runaway goal involvement leader this term
Now, Slot’s Liverpool are looking to repeat the trick, dipping back into the Italian market.
Liverpool’s summer transfer plans
While The Athletic’s David Ornstein has suggested Liverpool aren’t placing midfielders on their priority list in the transfer market this summer, the right market opportunity will as always tempt FSG into pouncing, and Atalanta’s Ederson may just be that man.
Indeed, the robust midfielder has been an important part of Gian Piero Gasperini’s success over the past several years, and his progress has caught the eye of Europe’s elite.
So then, according to Tutto Atalanta, the Brazil midfielder has been on Liverpool and Manchester United’s radar for a while and interest may come to a head this summer, the Red Devils having failed with a bid one year ago.
Should their interest be genuine, Liverpool will hope that their superiority over their arch-rivals holds sway, for they are set to lift the Premier League title while Ruben Amorim’s side languish in the bottom half of the division
Atalanta are resigned to losing their midfield general but will want to bank a pretty for his sale, fielding enquiries in the ballpark of €60m (about £51m), with Liverpool among those ready to ‘knock on the door’ and come forward with an offer.
Why Liverpool should sign Ederson
Liverpool have been brilliant this season, on course for the league title. However, there’s been a debate of late pertaining to Slot’s midfield’s lack of combativeness, and a player of Ederson’s ilk could make all the difference in firing across multiple cylinders next season
Hailed as a “machine” in the middle for Atalanta by reporter Carlo Garganese after his performance against Bayer Leverkusen to win last season’s Europa League title, Ederson is renowned for his physical presence but is also an underrated technician, ranking among the top 17% of midfielders in Serie A this season for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 19% for shot-creating actions per 90, as per FBref.
The 25-year-old, moreover, has been excellent in the Italian top division this term, starting 26 matches, winning five duels and recovering 5.1 loose balls per game, as per Sofascore, while also keeping it crisp with an 88% pass success rate
With such a strong core of skills already, it feels like a transfer to Merseyside could be the perfect step, the launchpad, for the next stage in his career, emulating Salah in leaving Serie A having made his name and taking a seat among the uppermost echelon of midfielders on the continent.
To be sure, Salah has come on leaps and bounds since arriving in Liverpool, but there’s no question he was highly regarded for his exploits with Fiorentina and Roma, with Luciano Spalletti saying upon his transfer to Anfield: “He is the best player I’ve coached in my career.
Ederson can now repeat the trick, giving Slot his own Salah signing to take an already impressive Liverpool side to the next level