Liverpool lost one of their midfield targets in the Portuguese, Matheus Nunes to Manchester City in a deal worth around £53m.
The Reds went on to sign their long-term midfield target Ryan Gravenberch who came in for a reported fee of £34m.
However, the Anfield club were targeting many players for the midfield position, including the new Man City acquisition, Matheus Nunes.
After missing out on the likes of Bellingham, Mount, Caicedo, Lavia, and Amrabat, the Reds did end up making great deals this summer.
They brought in Mac Allister, and Dominik Szoboszlai, both of whom have already impressed in the first few games.
Moreover, they brought in Wataru Endo while the supporters were expecting a big-name signing.
No disrespect to the Japanese, but he was never on the Liverpool radar and was a shocking signing by Klopp. He was the captain of his former side, Stuttgart, and came in for just £16m.
It was during the nth moment of the transfer day deadline that the Reds agreed on a deal for Ryan Gravenberch. The former Ajax man was always admired by the Liverpool hierarchy.
All in all, the fans could be happy that the club has replaced their aging midfield and brought in the younger ones.
Should Liverpool have gone for Nunes earlier than City and Wolves?
After all the signings, one of the questions still remains as to whether Liverpool let go of Nunes easily. The Portuguese was signed by the Treble winners, Manchester City for a fee of £53m.
The fee, however, could not have been a problem for the Reds, and the player was highly appreciated by the Reds too.
So much so that they had agreed to a £44m deal with Sporting CP for the Portuguese gem before withdrawing their bid. This allowed Wolves to pounce in and get their man.
Klopp rekindled his intrigue in January and was also believed to be plotting an approach this summer. But the German didn’t make any advancements on the 25-year-old.
Moreover, the Catalan, Pep also hailed the player as ‘one of the best in the world’. It was during their encounter with Sporting in the Champions League, where he was the best player.
In the 2023/24 season opener against Manchester United, Nunes showcased his skills. He recorded a match rating of 7.4 while creating 2 key passes.
Moreover, he made 3 tackles and 5 interceptions while winning an incredible 14 of his 24 contested duels.
In fact, the Dutchman hasn’t enjoyed as many games as the Portuguese. Hence, these all-round stats would have been a great asset for Klopp.
Although Gravenberch could have a great life at Anfield, the Reds might rue the failure to sign Nunes in the future.
I’m a football enthusiast and an avid writer and someone who lives by the Bill Shankly quote, on a day to day basis.
