Heskey points to Sancho as potential Shaqiri replacement
Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has revealed his belief that young England forward Jadon Sancho would be the perfect as Jürgen Klopp looks to strengthen his attacking options.
Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has revealed his belief that young England forward Jadon Sancho would be the perfect as Jürgen Klopp looks to strengthen his attacking options.
Heskey, speaking to GentingBet, believes that squad depth will be the main area concern for the Liverpool boss with the team's front three currently needed to play the majority of games.
Lack of depth in current Liverpool squad
“Liverpool need to strengthen their back-up options and their strength in depth – people putting pressure on the starting XI," Heskey explained. “You want to get to the stage where one player is coming off but another player is coming on, stepping into his position so that it all works like clockwork.”
Top of Heskey’s shopping list would be young England forward Jadon Sancho, the Manchester City academy graduate currently lighting up the Bundesliga for Borussia Dortmund. He was awarded the German top flight’s Player of the Month for February having contributed three goals and three assists in five games.
“When you look at Jadon Sancho’s age, he will always be an asset to Liverpool… having someone young, fresh and dynamic coming in, it will only add to the squad and I think that is where Jürgen is going to be looking at next. You’d like to think that Sancho has the quality to get in the side but it will be very tough to get in ahead of [Mohammed] Salah or [Sadio] Mané,” Heskey continued.
Liverpool’s ageing squad will need freshening up if they are to maintain their scintillating performances under Klopp. Salah and Mané are both 27 while centre-forward Roberto Firmino turns 29 later this year and the other attacking options are yet to prove themselves worthy of a starting berth.
Shaqiri's future looking uncertain
Not least Xherdan Shaqiri who has made just six Premier League appearances this season. The Swiss international has been injured for periods but at 28 he is unlikely to improve to the required level for the European Champions.
Things started well for Shaqiri after arriving from relegated Stoke City in 2018, contributing six goals and five assists in his first season on Merseyside, but Liverpool are now willing to sell. Reports in the Liverpool Echo claim that the Reds will look to get around 30 million euros for the former Bayern Munich forward, with Turkish side Galatasaray believed to be interested. That would represent a sizeable profit on the 14 million euro they paid for him and provide much-needed funds that could be reinvested elsewhere.
That money, combined with Liverpool’s exorbitant new kit deal with Nike, could make a move for Sancho possible but the starlet has suitors from clubs all over Europe.
In recent years Liverpool have shown themselves willing to spend big on talent like Alisson Becker and Virgil van Dijk, and Jadon Sancho may just be the next in line.