Why Liverpool must sign £50m France World Cup star instead of Joao Gomes

When Andoni Iraola sat down on Monday to conduct his first press conference as Liverpool head coach, he stressed to reporters that FSG are working hard behind the scenes.

Liverpool hijacked Newcastle United’s £34.5m move for Spanish winger Victor Munoz in January, while Jeremy Jacquet is now on Merseyside and engaged in pre-season training after his £60m move from Rennes, agreed midway through last season, was finalised.

There’s a lot going on at Anfield. Michael Edwards has stepped down as FSG’s CEO of Football, while Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes will leave for Saudi Arabia at the end of the transfer window.

Whether the 2024/25 Premier League champions recover the kind of form and fluency that has established them as title challengers for much of the past decade remains to be seen, but that is the task at hand for Iraola.

All the talk is centred on flashy forwards, but the Spanish tactician may need a few midfielders to transform Liverpool’s fortunes.

Why a new midfielder could transform Iraola’s Liverpool

During Iraola’s opening presser, many topics were discussed, one of which being the uncertain future of Curtis Jones, who is Inter Milan’s top target this summer.

Iraola understands the importance of having a Scouser in the first team at Liverpool, and Jones is the definitive city boy now that Trent Alexander-Arnold has been playing for Real Madrid over the past year.

But the 25-year-old probably has a point in considering an exit, having struggled for game time in the Premier League. Last season, Alexis Mac Allister played more than 1,000 more minutes than the England international, and he was one of the biggest culprits throughout the Reds’ disappointing campaign.

But Jones isn’t a superstar, and Liverpool do need a more robust and impactful midfield profile to lift them back into the title-challenging ascendancy.

Iraola’s high-intensity system demands it. He needs a midfielder who is combative and sharp, someone who knows what it takes to hold things together behind a world-class frontline.

FSG might have the perfect midfielder in their sights.

Liverpool still in talks to sign France World Cup star

Recent reports have linked Liverpool with a move for Wolverhampton Wanderers midfielder Joao Gomes, who is also on Manchester United’s radar after his proposed transfer to Atletico Madrid caved in last month.

The Brazilian talent is expected to leave Molineux this summer, and while Liverpool could benefit immensely from such a shrewd signing, they may hit an even bigger jackpot by turning toward one of the French national team’s top midfielders.

According to Liverpool insider Wilson Cox, Liverpool remain in contact with AS Roma as they try to understand the conditions of a deal for Manu Kone this summer.

The Les Bleus star is on a finalised shortlist of candidates earmarked to reinforce Iraola’s engine room this summer, and his comparatively cheap £50m price tag makes him an interesting option indeed.

Hailed as “France’s best midfielder” by pundit Rio Ferdinand, Kone has won over four duels and made nearly two tackles per game at the World Cup, his role among the most important in Didier Deschamps’ squad, allowing Kylian Mbappe and his offensive company to wreak havoc in the final third.

This has been a continuation of Kone’s performances in Italy, and it’s perhaps fair to say that his all-action style and success in driving the Romans back into the Champions League after years away puts him in good stead to cement himself as a superstar at Liverpool, maybe even proving a better signing than Gomes.

There’s no question that Gomes is a more relentless bundle of energy, but Kone is arguably smoother and more confident on the ball.

Talent scout Jacek Kulig has hailed Kone as a “monstrous” midfielder in the past; he has the physicality to direct traffic and shrug off opponents, skills that are tailored toward a team challenging for the biggest titles.

Gomes would be an astute arrival, but Kone is thriving on the biggest star, and this is the signing that Liverpool need to go for.