FEW teams are as intriguing as Liverpool in a Dream Team context this summer.
2022/23 was an underwhelming season for the Reds all things considered but they finished the campaign in the swaggering form supporters have come to expect of Jurgen Klopp’s reign.
A midfield revamp coupled with goals galore from the forward arsenal in pre-season suggests the six-time European champions have plenty of points in them once the action gets underway.
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With that in mind, let’s analyse the squad in terms of best players, bargain options and potential flops.
BEST PLAYERS
First and foremost, let’s spell out Mohamed Salah’s (£7m) in bold and underline it several times.
No player has scored more points in the realm of Dream Team since the Egyptian hero’s return to English shores in 2017.
The 31-year-old averages 31 goals a season for Liverpool in all competitions and is a bonafide Dream Team legend.
Erling Haaland’s (£8.5m) presence has changed the landscape at the top end of the scale but every gaffer should, at the very least, explore the possibility of an XI that contains both Salah and Manchester City’s prolific No9.
Trent Alexander-Arnold (£6m) is a particularly compelling prospect as there’s every indication he will continue to rack up minutes in midfield.
Anfield’s homegrown hero is categorised as defender in Dream Team once again this season and will therefore benefit from any clean sheets to which he contributes at least 60 minutes of playing time.
But if he is to keep fulfilling a more advanced role then he looks set to capitalise on the new scoring system, which will reward the game’s best playmakers with a point for every big chance created as well as shots on target.
No section on Liverpool’s top assets would be complete without Alisson (£4.5m).
Brazil’s No1 was superb last season having been given plenty of work to do behind a vulnerable defence.
If Klopp’s side have indeed exited their form trough then Alisson should have more clean sheets to add to his impressive save stats.
BARGAIN OPTIONS
Very few Liverpool players fit the description of an out-and-out bargain but that doesn’t mean there’s not value for money to be had among the squad.
If Ibrahima Konate (£3.5m) is to be Virgil van Dijk’s (£5m) first-choice partner at centre-back then the Frenchman could be a very savvy differential option – his current ownership sits at a modest 3%.
It’s hard to predict Liverpool’s first-choice front three with plenty of rotation expected in the remaining two attacking positions with Salah an assumed guarantee.
However, reports from pre-season have described a new-found composure within Darwin Nunez (£4m) in front of goal, with Klopp singling out the Uruguayan for praise.
His price tag may exclude him from the bargain aisle but given he’ll head into Gameweek 1 cheaper than the likes of Callum Wilson (£4.5m), Ollie Watkins (£4.5m) and Son Heung-min (£5m), it may not be long before the ex-Benfica man is considered a smart investment.
A word for Dominik Szoboszlai (£3.5m) too, who will look reasonably priced if he establishes himself as Anfield’s playmaker-in-chief behind a threatening, dynamic forward line.
POTENTIAL FLOPS
This may be considered sacrilege but Van Dijk feels expensive at £5m given his individual performances across the last 18 months.
At one stage, the imperious Dutchman was almost a must-have selection regardless of his price but Dream Team bosses would be wise to wait and see which Van Dijk turns up this season before forking out £5m of their budget.
Similarly, Joel Matip at £3m would have once been in bargain-of-the-season territory but those days are almost certainly in the past.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
