Liverpool look more and more unlikely by the game that they will retain the Premier League title.
Of course, collecting the top-flight trophy two seasons on the trot is a difficult feat even when you’re all guns blazing.
But, it’s definitely made more tricky when you assess how quickly the wheels are falling off Arne Slot’s title defence right now.
The Reds are already up to five defeats in league action this season, with newly promoted Sunderland only on two losses, in stark contrast.
Slot was also significantly backed in the summer, with the summer transfer business at Anfield no doubt catching the eye, when you consider a jaw-dropping £415m was splashed out by the Merseyside giants.
The likes of Alexander Isak and Milos Kerkez have really struggled to get going, having cost a substantial £165m alone to get through the door.
But, there is one high-profile name that is in very real danger of becoming Slot’s own Naby Keita. Yes, things really do look that bad at the moment.
The numbers behind Keita's Liverpool disaster
When Keita arrived at Anfield in 2018, there was a lot of fanfare surrounding his high-profile signing.
After all, Jurgen Klopp boldly announcde that the Guinean was the “best player in the league” in the Bundesliga when leaving behind RB Leipzig for a shot in England for a whopping a whopping £48m.
In Klopp’s defence, Keita had collected 16 goals and assists combined across all competitions for Leipzig during his swansong campaign and the former Reds number 8 did score some beautifully taken goals during his stint on Merseyside, as can be seen watching the entertaining highlight reel above.
But, with all the hype that had surrounded the capture at the time, it would have been Keita’s constant in-and-out presence in the treatment room that would have irritated Liverpool fans the most, with a staggering 122 games missed through injury for club and country across his five seasons in England.
In the end, he was let go at the expiry of his contract with Werder Bremen, with just 11 goals and seven assists to shout about.
Slot will pray he doesn’t have another Keita-like situation unfolding right now as Liverpool struggle for consistency, with another mega-money signing at risk of fading into the background.
Liverpool's Naby Keita repeat
The failed signing of Keita still stands as Liverpool’s eighth most expensive signing of all time.
Thankfully, above the hot-and-cold 30-year-old’s name in the rankings are the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alisson, and Virgil Van Dijk, who are all figures Slot knows he can rely on.
Unfortunately, the same is yet to be applied to Florian Wirtz, who comes in as the Reds’ second most expensive capture at an astronomical £115m fee.
The German’s arrival from Bayer Leverkusen met with the same Keita-level hysteria, having been dubbed a “generational” talent by sports media professional Christian Nyari just last season.
With 57 goals and 65 assists under his belt for Leverkusen, it can be rationalised as to why Liverpool blew such a large chunk of their budget on Wirtz instantly coming good.
Indeed, Reds journalist Bence Boscak pleaded in the summer that Slot and Co needed to land his signature “whatever” the price may be.
Games played
16
Minutes played
1119 mins
Goals scored
0
Assists
3
Yet, much like they found out with Keita, blistering form in the Bundesliga doesn’t necessarily mean they will instantly hit the ground running on English shores, with Wirtz still yet to collect a single goal or assist in Premier League action.
Wirtz was particularly ineffective last time out as Liverpool were reminded of how far they’ve fallen in such a short space of time against Manchester City, with an unmemorable 39 touches of the ball seeing the German fail to amass one single key pass.
It’s even clearer from the graphic above how much the number 7 has been “struggling” – as journalist Mark Ogden has noted – in his new surroundings, with both his take-on success percentage rate and duels being won per ninety minutes success rate taking a significant hit.
Analyst Darnish Iqbal has even branded the deal as a “disaster”, with it not being a stretch to state that it is Liverpool’s biggest disappointment in the transfer window since Keita joined way back in 2018. Perhaps the Reds should avoid the Bundesliga for now?
Wirtz, hopefully, won’t fall victim to Keita’s same fate in leaving for cheap though, with glimmers of his quality here and there – as seen in the playmaker amassing five key passes against Real Madrid – meaning Liverpool will hold onto him for the time being, praying he hits his Leverkusen heights on a consistent basis down the line.
Not Wirtz or Isak: Liverpool's "nervous wreck" at risk of becoming Nunez 2.0
Liverpool have fallen by the wayside under Arne Slot’s leadership this season.
ByAngus Sinclair
