5 players Liverpool could sign to help catch Manchester City

Very few teams can claim to have had a Premier League season quite as good as Liverpool had last season. The Reds picked up a quite incredible 97 points in the league, the third most of any team in Premier League history, yet only finished second behind Manchester City.

Jurgen Klopp’s men lost just one game all season, a 2-1 defeat to City in January, and collected the highest points total in their history. Yet despite winning all of their last nine league games, they came in one point behind Pep Guardiola’s side.

Even though they missing out on the Premier League title, it was certainly a successful season for the Anfield club. They were crowned European Champions for the sixth time, beating Tottenham 2-0 in Madrid, having pulled off a superb comeback against Barcelona in the semi-finals.

But for Liverpool, the Premier League will be the ultimate aim next season. Having come second best to Manchester City, they will want to go one better this time around. They are still to win the Premier League title, despite winning the old First Division on 18 occasions.

Klopp will want to improve his squad this summer, despite their impressive performances this season. In the trio of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, they have one of the fiercest frontlines in European football, but there are other areas of the pitch where they may be looking for improvements.

Here are five men who Liverpool could target to help take them to the next level in the coming season.

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#1 Nabil Fekir (Lyon)

Fekir came close to joining Liverpool from Lyon last summer

This may be a little bit of a repeat of last summer, when Liverpool’s pursuit of Fekir was one of the transfer sagas of the transfer window. The Reds looked to have agreed a deal to sign Fekir, yet pulled out at the last minute because of worries over his injury history. The move could be back on this summer though, after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas admitted that it was likely that the Frenchman would leave the club this summer.

Being someone who can play as the number nine, or just behind the striker, Fekir could be just the player Liverpool are looking for. Naby Keita never really adapted to English football, while Xherdan Shaqiri was quiet in the second half of the season. The 25-year-old has scored 49 goals over the course of the last three seasons, and could really add something to this Liverpool squad.

#2 James Maddison (Leicester City)

Maddison made a fine start to his Premier League career

Very much in the way that Fekir would offer Liverpool another option behind the striker, Maddison would give them that, and potentially backup on the wings. The Leicester City man has had an excellent first season in the Premier League having made the £25 million move from Norwich City last summer.

The 22-year-old had a really positive impact on the Leicester side, and created more chances than anyone else in the Premier League last season, with Eden Hazard coming in second place.

Maddison is clearly an exceptional talent, and would add some much needed creativity to the Liverpool midfield, that has for the last couple of seasons lacked a real goal threat. In his debut Premier League season, Maddison scored seven times and provided seven assists, numbers that will only improve if he was to play with better players. He wouldn’t come cheap, as Leicester do not need to sell, and he is someone with huge potential, but he would be an excellent addition for Liverpool.

#3 Nicolas Pepe (Lille)

Pepe was the second highest scorer in Ligue 1 last season

Not too many people would have been aware of Nicolas Pepe this time last year, but now he is one of the most sought after players in European football. The 24-year-old has been attracting interest from Liverpool, as well as from the likes of Inter Milan and Bayern Munich after a superb season in France with Lille. He scored 22 goals in the league, second only to PSG’s Kylian Mbappe, as well as providing 11 assists, a feat only bettered by Nimes’ Teji Savanier.

The Ivorian is capable of playing anywhere across the front three, so would be useful backup to Liverpool’s already impressive frontline. The issue for Liverpool is that because of the interest in Pepe, he will likely cost over £60 million, and that is a lot to pay for someone who isn’t a guaranteed starter. There is also the issue that Pepe may feel that he needs regular first team football, and may decide that he is better off elsewhere.

#4 Diego Llorente (Real Sociedad)

Llorente has spent two years at Real Sociedad since leaving Real Madrid

One area Liverpool may also want to strengthen is at centre back. They obviously have Virgil van Dijk, one of the best defenders in the world, and Joe Gomez, as their first choice defensive pairing, but Jurgen Klopp may be looking for more depth in the position. Gomez has struggled with injuries during his time at Anfield, while it has also been reported that there has been interest in Dejan Lovren from AC Milan.

In this case, Klopp may not be willing to go into the season with just van Dijk, Joel Matip, and an injury-prone Gomez as his only available centre backs, and may enter the market to bring another one to the club. That man may be Real Sociedad’s Diego Llorente, who has had two good seasons with the club, earning him a debut for the Spanish national side. He is a reliable defender, and also has the ability to play the ball from the back, something that certainly suits the way Liverpool play.

#5 Jamal Lewis (Norwich City)

Lewis played a key role in Norwich's promotion to the Premier League

One player who will certainly be leaving Liverpool this summer is left-back Alberto Moreno, who has been told he will be released when his contract comes to an end, having made only 30 Premier League appearances over the course of the last three seasons. Although he hasn’t been first choice for Jurgen Klopp over the past few years, his departure does leave Liverpool a little bit short in the left back department.

Andy Robertson has had an excellent season for the Reds, and will without a doubt continue to be first choice next season. If Klopp wants a backup option though, he may turn to Norwich City youngster Jamal Lewis. The 21-year-old was included in the Championship Team of the Season having played a key role in Norwich’s promotion to the Premier League, and he clearly has a big future. He may not be quite as good as Robertson, but he would be a more than capable backup option.