Ritsu Doan, a talented player who dreamed of joining Manchester United, grabbed attention during the World Cup, but Liverpool could buy him instead to address Jurgen Klopp’s problem.
With the addition of Cody Gakpo, Liverpool’s offensive options would appear to be finished. But it’s possible that’s not always the case. With the addition of Gakpo, Jürgen Klopp has a wide range of alternatives on the left side. Mohamed Salah is the only player on the right who is actually at ease in the position, though.
Lack of viable options for Liverpool
Diogo Jota occasionally played there last year, but he seemed more at home on the left and struggled to have an effect there. The question of Harvey Elliott’s ability in that position is still out in the air since he has primarily been played on the left side of attack this season.
Salah is approaching middle age, and the Egyptian will turn 30 this year, which means that sooner or later, just like everyone else, the effects of aging will manifest themselves physically.
Thus, Liverpool must consider strategies to reduce that cost in the years to come if they want to maintain their longevity for as long as feasible. Obviously, cutting back on Salah’s playing time for the squad is one such approach.
Salah is now playing a lot of minutes without taking a break, which might perhaps hasten the aging process if the extra game time is having an adverse effect on his physique. Although there are currently no indications of it, several wingers have declined after turning 30. Liverpool ought to look at finding an alternative for the Egyptian, and perhaps one such player has already made an appearance at the World Cup.
Ritsu Doan: a good fit for Liverpool?
The highlight of Japan’s successful run in the tournament in Qatar was 24-year-old Ritsu Doan. In 218 minutes, he scored twice in the competition, once each against Germany and Spain. Doan hasn’t only been impressive in the tournament, though. He’s a traditional right-winger with an explosive style and has the capability to cut in from the right in a similar manner to Salah.
Since joining Freiburg this summer in the Bundesliga, he has also been a key player. Doan has already contributed to nine goals for the squad in all competitions, which places him third for his team in the Bundesliga. He is a player who would fit in nicely with Klopp’s style, which demands that the attackers defend from the front.
