Liverpool favourites to sign a star who’s "more talented than Ronaldo"
On Tuesday morning, the Premier League revealed to the world the comprehensive fixture list for the 2024/25 campaign. Liverpool, naturally, will start their campaign with a 12:30pm kick off away against newly-promoted Ipswich Town.
Jurgen Klopp might have retired from his Merseyside duties but the German will be certain to shake his head when he receives this piece of information. For Arne Slot, Anfield's new head coach, the match is simply the beginning of a thrilling journey in England's top flight, and three points will be the only option.
Liverpool: Opening Premier League Fixtures 24/25
Matchweek
Fixture
Venue
23/24 Result
1.
Ipswich Town
Portman Road
N/A
2.
Brentford
Anfield
3-0 win
3.
Manchester United
Old Trafford
2-2 draw
4.
Nottingham Forest
Anfield
4-0 win
5.
Bournemouth
Anfield
2-0 win
The club's new boss will have a plethora of high-quality players to pick from but there's no denying Liverpool need to piece it all together during the summer transfer window, strengthening key areas such as central defence and out wide.
That's not to say, however, that Michael Edwards and Co won't bolster other positions if the right opening emerges. well, such an opportunity may well have materialised…
Liverpool transfer news
According to Spanish reports, Liverpool are the 'main candidates' to sign Juventus youngster Kenan Yildiz, who is valued at around €30m (£25m) by the Serie A giants.
Yildiz, aged 19, is a highly sought-after figure in Italy after enjoying a thrilling breakout campaign but has been consistently linked with a move away – notably, Arsenal and Manchester United have been credited with an interest in recent months.
While he's not quite the profile that the Reds have been frequently touted with – a right-sided, in cutting wide forward – Yildiz represents a unique market opportunity and Slot could make fine use of the youngster's ever-improving talents.
Kenan Yildiz's 23/24 season in numbers
Speaking of Yildiz's ability back in January, former Juventus manager Massimiliano Allegri said: "There are very few people who can control the ball like a star player. Moreover, he rarely makes wrong decisions, and that's a natural talent. We didn't need to teach him that. I want him to do even more because he has the potential to make a difference."
Despite still perching in the maiden stage of his promising career, the Turkey international – who featured at Euro 2024 yesterday – has established himself as a regular matchday feature for the Old Lady despite playing his football at youth level during the 2022/23 campaign.
This season, principally playing off the centre-forward for Juventus, Yildiz scored six goals and supplied two assists for his team, only starting nine matches in the Italian first division but making quite the impression.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 11% of forwards across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for shot-creating actions, the top 4% for pass completion, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 7% for progressive carries, the top 4% for successful take-ons and the top 9% for tackles per 90.
Electric and bold, Yildiz is a first-class prospect and he could be offer the perfect addition of depth at Liverpool, with his prodigious start to life leading his former coach, Sokyan Baskar, to claim that he's "more talented than Cristiano Ronaldo".
This might be a tiny bit overenthusiastic from Baskar but it does start to paint a picture of how highly regarded this dynamic forward is. Yet to break free from his teenage years, the world lays at his feet.
Ronaldo, it's important to note, scored six goals and added eight assists across 40 matches during the 2003/04 season, when he was the same age as Yildiz is now. The youthful Turk cannot be expected to reach the same jaw-dropping heights as Ronaldo, one of football's all-time greats, but, again, the praise bespeaks his potential to succeed at a team like Liverpool.
How Kenan Yildiz could fit in at Liverpool
There's a good chance that Yildiz's blistering pace and silky footwork will see him bloom into a permanent wide player in the years to come, which could see him cement a spot as Luis Diaz's successor at Anfield.
The Colombian has been heavily linked with a departure in recent weeks – with Barcelona eager admirers – but Cody Gakpo, another of Slot's left wingers, is set to stay and will hope to fight for a prominent role after only starting 17 matches in the Premier League last term.
Among his seasonal appearances, Gakpo was deployed on the left flank 12 times but only scored three goals. While his versatility saw him moved around with regularity, he has faced criticisms for several of his displays, with The Athletic's Gregg Evans claiming that "he looks a bit short of pace and physicality".
Yildiz is certainly not lacking in such departments. He might be limber but the 6 foot 2 star is endowed with deceptive strength and an impressive athletic core. His young age also suggests that he will only keep developing over the coming years, even touted to be a consistent starter for Thiago Motta's Juventus next year by analyst Ben Mattinson, if he ends up staying in Turin.
With a still-improving skill set hinting at the kind of progressive, creative skills to place him in the upper echelon,
If Diaz is sold this summer, Yildiz may well be considered as a shrewd and exciting successor. Gakpo will hope that he has proved himself worthy of a regular starting berth on the left wing but if Yildiz is indeed signed, the Dutchman might just find himself battling a remarkable young player for a place on the wing.
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ByAngus Sinclair Jun 16, 2024