Should the two attackers most strongly linked with Anfield moves arrive, how much can Liverpool fans dare to dream ahead of next season?
The one element Liverpool really lacked from their attack last season was pace. If they signed Theo Walcott that deficiency would be solved in an instant.
Over the past year the midfielder has really added to his overall game, sure he is hot and cold, but when he is on his game he is close to unplayable, as both Chelsea and Tottenham found out last season.
Both Theo Walcott and Clint Dempsey have just one year left each on their current contract, heightening the club’s chances of signing them.
Neither deal is done yet, and there is yet to be official word of Liverpool submitting a bid for either, only believe it when the transfer is reported on the club’s official website.
Regardless, they seem like two of the more likely names mentioned and talk of Dempsey has heightened the last 24 hours, so let’s take a look at how they could affect the side going forward.
Firstly, as mentioned earlier, Walcott would inject much-needed pace into Liverpool’s attack. He would gel into the loosely applied 4-3-3/4-5-1 formation preferred by Rodgers, and could fulfill the role Scott Sinclair excelled in last season for his Swansea City side.
Arsenal play a tactical game and brand of football similar in style to the one Rodgers wants to implement at Liverpool and if the Reds are able to tempt the Gunners into a £15 million sale, then he would fit right into the manager’s plans.
Walcott would take the pressure of Stewart Downing on the wings, and that itself may pay its own dividends. The pressure has got to the former Villa man, and playing as part of an attack rather than having the spotlight of leading it may just see him flourish and prove a few wrong.
Clint Dempsey is an intriguing one, the American striker can play in a variety of forward positions, wide on the left, behind the striker, or leading the attack as a lone striker.
Would the Fulham frontman start every game for the Reds? It is unlikely, but he would be fully aware of this coming into the club, and would likely alternate with new signing Fabio Borini, who is only 21.
Dempsey may be 29, but is at his peak and could offer Liverpool at least three good years, and suggestions he is over the hill are wrong. It is good to build a youthful side, but as Arsenal have learned, players hardened with years of Premier League experience can be every bit as effective, just look at Mikel Arteta’s performances for them since signing from Everton.
He would add extra depth to Liverpool’s attack, and a goalscoring threat off the bench if he does not start, and that is something the club lacked last season.
For both to be signed, we suspect something would have to give, with between £25 million and £30 million required to snap up the pair of them. That something is likely to be Andy Carroll, as numerous reports have suggested.
So with Carroll out, and Walcott and Dempsey in, the options are exciting for Liverpool. Luis Suarez could start wide on the left and drift inside, arguably allowing him to be more devastating and effective than the more rigid demands of centre forward.
Here is how the side could line up..
Borini/Dempsey
Suarez Walcott
Gerrard Henderson
Lucas
Enrique Johnson
Agger Skrtel
Reina
That is a side packed with talent, goals, and Premier League and international experience. Theo Walcott would be able to link up with England international colleague Glen Johnson down the right, a partnership which could well develop into an excellent one.
The player with a question mark over him as a starter is Jordan Henderson- Charlie Adam and Jonjo Shelvey will be competing for his place, while Rodgers may still bring in a midfielder of his own choosing, with both Joe Allen and Gaston Ramirez heavily linked.
How would Walcott and Dempsey influence Liverpool in terms of goals/assists? Let’s take a look at their productivity from last season to take a view of what they are capable of.
Clint Dempsey scored 17 Premier League goals and provided 6 assists, while Walcott scored 8 goals and provided 8 more. Between them they contributed to a combined 39 goals last season in the league alone.
That staggering output from just two players is superb, especially when compared with the fact the entire Liverpool team scored just 47 times in the Premier League last season.
The two players would make a big impact if they could replicate that sort of form, or even close to it. Will they sign?
Of course that remains to be seen, but with six weeks left of the transfer window there is time to seal the deals and negotiate, and the Dempsey one appears to be close.
If Liverpool can, then achieving a top four Champions League spot should be an ambition the club should feel confident of attaining.
Will the deals be done? Are they the two right players to take Liverpool into the top four?
image: © kevinzim
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
