Part of Andoni Iraola’s charm is his ability to flourish with what he’s got at his disposal, the Liverpool boss having previously worked wonders at Bournemouth despite so much upheaval.
The Spaniard lost almost his entire backline last summer, yet still proceeded to steer the Cherries into the Europa League, a fine feat considering he’d also seen star man, Antoine Semenyo, join Manchester City in January.
Iraola – who had been a central figure in the rise of the Ghanaian – subsequently oversaw a remarkable unbeaten run following the sale of Semenyo, the Cherries’ first loss since January coming at the start of this season against City.
He’s certainly not one to complain is Iraola, but that doesn’t mean he should be left short-staffed by FSG, with this window in danger of descending into a shambles on current evidence.
Why Iraola needs another Semenyo at Liverpool
Let’s face it, the Anfield hierarchy have had ample time to get their ducks in a row this summer, having known for months that they would be light in attack following the loss of Hugo Ekitike to injury, as well as the exit of long-serving talisman, Mohamed Salah.
A deal for Victor Munoz was at least wrapped up swiftly, but with the deadline looming, the lack of further attacking reinforcements could be to Iraola’s detriment.
Indeed, the club’s pursuit of Bradley Barcola has dragged on and on, with there likely to be trepidation at forking out yet another £100m-plus fee, following the recent woes of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz.
Iraola may well just be paying the price for the chaos of last season, with the Reds seeing so many of their new, costly arrivals flatter to deceive under Arne Slot’s watch.
FSG now appear caught in limbo, keen to strengthen before the window shuts, yet wary of paying over the odds so late in the day, having seemingly seen their interest in Brighton and Hove Albion’s Yankuba Minteh rebuffed.
With Munoz, Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha on board, perhaps the Reds don’t need multiple new faces, but a more direct successor to Salah on the right flank does appear a must at the very least.
It was on that flank that Semenyo achieved talismanic status under Iraola, scoring and assisting 44 goals in 99 games in their time together.
Can the Liverpool boss repeat the feat at Anfield?
How Liverpool can hand Iraola his new Semenyo
In the case of Minteh, the Seagulls’ reported £80m asking price looks set to be prohibitive, with the Reds having launched an offer closer to £60m in order to try and sign the 22-year-old.
At such a late stage, any selling club is likely to want to find a replacement first and foremost, with Liverpool facing a race against time to get a deal over the line.
That looks to be the case with regard to Crystal Palace star, Ismaila Sarr, with a £50m offer for the Senegalese sensation having already been rejected.
Whether that proves the end of that story remains to be seen, however, with Fabrizio Romano – speaking on his YouTube channel – reporting that Sarr is still “ready to go to Liverpool”, if a fee can be agreed.
“Liverpool official bid presented to Crystal Palace for Ismaila Sarr. Liverpool have sent a proposal worth 50 million pounds for Ismaila Sarr rejected, according to my information, by Crystal Palace early afternoon. Crystal Palace insist they want to keep the player.
“They rejected two bids from Galatasaray and now rejected the bid from Liverpool. Crystal Palace want to keep him. Crystal Palace wants Ismaila Sarr to stay. Ismaila Sarr had an agreement with Galatasaray and Ismaila Sarr also would be ready to go to Liverpool.”
A new proposal will need to be lodged by FSG, but there is at least merit in this pursuit of the £70k-per-week winger, provided the asking price doesn’t prove farcical amid Palace’s desire to keep him.
Sarr – Record Against ‘Big Six’ | ||
|---|---|---|
Club | Games | Goals (Assists) |
Arsenal | 10 | 2 (1) |
Chelsea | 5 | 0 (0) |
Liverpool | 10 | 7 (2) |
Man City | 8 | 0 (1) |
Man Utd | 9 | 2 (1) |
Spurs | 5 | 2 (1) |
Total | 47 | 13 (6) |
Aston Villa | 8 | 8 (3) |
Liverpool know more than most just how effective Sarr can be from the flanks or through the middle, the ex-Watford man scoring seven times in ten career meetings with the Merseyside outfit to date.
It’s been a similar story for Semenyo too, the 27-year-old netting four in five meetings with the Reds, including notching a brace in the opening game of last season.
Like the new City star, Sarr’s game largely relies on playing on the counter and exploiting space in behind, having also mirrored Semenyo in his ability to feature on either flank or in a central role.
He’s not the most glamorous, high-profile name, yet nor was Semenyo until he was morphed into a Premier League weapon under Iraola’s watch, the ex-Bristol City winger ending last term with 17 league goals to his name all in.
As for Sarr, he ended the campaign with a respectable tally of nine in the top flight, while also propelling the Eagles to Conference League glory after scoring nine in 13 games in Europe’s third-tier competition.
His overall record of 27 goals in 116 Premier League games isn’t overly eye-catching, although that’s not far off Semenyo’s own return, the latter man scoring 37 in 119 at that level.
Last term, like Semenyo, was also Sarr’s best season in terms of Premier League goals scored, suggesting that he might well be hitting his prime in English football.
Of course, this might not be the Barcola-shaped figure that supporters are craving, yet Iraola might relish the chance to turn Sarr into his new Semenyo on Merseyside.
