Liverpool will have to ‘settle’ for only winning the Premier League title if they want to secure a piece of silverware before the end of the season.
The Reds are 12 points clear at the top of the league table, with nine games left to play, and are in a commanding position to land their second Premier League title.
Arne Slot’s side lost in the final of the League Cup last weekend and were knocked out of the Champions League by Paris Saint-Germain on penalties earlier this month.
Liverpool are on course to win the league title, though, and that is largely down to the exceptional form of Mo Salah, who has racked up 27 goals and 17 assists in 29 appearances in the top-flight.
The Egypt international, however, is out of contract in the summer, and it remains to be see whether or not Slot will be able to call upon his talents next season, which means that the Dutch boss may have to hope that other players can step up.
Liverpool will need other players to carry the load in the 2025/26 campaign and beyond, if Salah moves on from Anfield, and Cody Gakpo is one player with the potential to step up.
Why Cody Gakpo could become a Liverpool star
There is no doubt that Salah is the main man for Liverpool, the one the team relies on to step up with vital goals and assists, and this means that the other forwards have to step out of the spotlight to let him shine.
However, Gakpo is a player with the potential to step into the spotlight next season to be the main man for the Reds, or at least one of the go-to stars at the top end of the pitch.
The Netherlands international, who joined the club at the start of 2023 from PSV, has scored 23 goals for the club to date in the Premier League, whilst Salah has 27 in the current campaign alone.
Gakpo’s finishing quality in the top-flight this season, though, suggests that the potential is there for him to be a dependable figure for Slot in the future, as he has the ability to make the most of the chances that are created for him.
Starts
16
xG
5.99
Goals
8
Big chances created
7
Key passes per game
1.2
Assists
3
As you can see in the table above, the former PSV star has scored eight goals from just 5.99 xG in the Premier League for Liverpool in the current campaign, which shows that he is an efficient finisher.
This suggests that his output in the final third could increase as a result of Salah’s exit, as the team could create more chances for him to score instead of funneling the ball down the Egyptian’s side more often than not.
Liverpool, though, are now showing an interest in a player who could come in to be even better than Gakpo in the upcoming summer transfer window.
Liverpool plot surprise move for France international
According to GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool could make a ‘surprise’ move to sign Lyon attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki at the end of the season.
The report claims that the Reds are plotting a potential swoop to land the France international to bolster their attack in the summer, after they held an interest in him in the recent January transfer window.
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It states that the club are preparing for a ‘busy’ summer as they want to bring in several new forward options to improve the depth and quality of Slot’s squad.
The outlet reveals that the Lyon sensation is ‘highly-regarded’ by Liverpool chiefs, who are assessing targets ahead of the summer window, but does not state how high up he is on their list.
Cherki, whose performances have led to him being compared to some of the best wingers in Europe, was valued at around £20m in January, but it remains to be seen how much Lyon will demand for his services later this year.
Why Liverpool need to sign Rayan Cherki
If Salah moves on from Anfield this summer, Liverpool will need a player with the ability to step up as the main creative presence on the pitch for Slot.
Excluding Trent Alexander-Arnold, who is also out of contract this year, Salah is the only Liverpool star with more than four assists in the Premier League, and the only ace with more than 1.5 key passes per game made.
Gakpo, meanwhile, has only produced three assists and 1.2 key passes per match on average in the top-flight, which does not suggest
that he is likely to be the main man from a creative perspective.
Cherki, on the other hand, has racked up a staggering 18 assists in all competitions for Lyon this season, whilst averaging 2.5 key passes per match in Ligue 1.
This suggests that the French maestro has the creative ability to replace what Salah has provided in that sense this season, and journalist Dean Jones once claimed that he has the potential to be one of the best in the world.
Cherki, who can play as an attacking midfielder or on either flank, could also come in to be the main man over Gakpo, despite the Dutch forward’s potential, based on their respective performances this term.
Appearances
32
34
xG
5.17
8.63
Goals
8
11
Big chances created
31
11
Assists
17
4
Key passes
93
39
As you can see in the table above, the Lyon magician has offered a relatively similar level of goalscoring in domestic and European action, whilst both players have outperformed against their xG.
However, Cherki is significantly better than Gakpo when it comes to creating high-quality chances for his teammates, with ten more ‘big chances’ created in their respective domestic leagues.
These statistics suggest that the French dynamo would be even more influential than the Dutchman at the top end of the pitch at Anfield next season if Michael Edwards can strike a deal for the £20m-rated ace, because he could contribute to more goals and assists combined overall.
Cherki is a forward who can ruthlessly finish the chances that come his way whilst also being an exceptional creator for others, whilst Gakpo has only shown himself to be the former.
He earns more than Gakpo: Edwards must sell Liverpool's "pointless" star
The Liverpool chief must ruthlessly cash in on the forward who has been outperformed by Cody Gakpo.
ByDan Emery
It is now down to Liverpool to ensure that they win the race to land the Lyon ace in the summer transfer window, as he could help to soften the blow of possibly losing Salah and Trent on free transfers.
