Liverpool know that, having missed out on the Premier League title by a solitary point in 2021-22, Manchester City will have Erling Haaland on their books next season, and David James says he would take Robert Lewandowski to Anfield if an opportunity presented itself to sign the prolific Polish striker.
The former Reds goalkeeper is not convinced that Jurgen Klopp needs to be concerning himself too much with responding to another show of intent from City in the transfer market when it comes to goalscorers, with there already plenty of firepower on Merseyside.
James is, however, prepared to admit that any chance to acquire a two-time FIFA Best Award winner – one that is preparing to sever ties with Bayern Munich this summer and has worked with Klopp in the past at Borussia Dortmund – would be difficult to pass up.
Should Liverpool be looking at Robert Lewandowski transfer?
Quizzed on whether a man that has netted 40-plus goals for Bayern in each of the last seven seasons would be a shrewd addition to Liverpool’s star-studded ranks, ex-Reds shot-stopper James – speaking in association with Genting Casino – told GOAL: “This guy is incredible. His goal spread in regards to home and away is nearly equal. He doesn’t mind where he is, he will score goals.
“The thing with Haaland is that only five games has he scored one goal, the rest of the time he has scored two or three. He is like buses, they come in multiples, whereas Lewandowski doesn’t care – he will score more than half as single goals in games.
“Lewandowski, with this guy, he just scores. He doesn’t need to score three, he will always get one. You know you are going to concede. It’s the mindset of the opposition.
“Lewandowski for a season? I would buy him. He might cost a few quid, but for a season it might be worth the expense. For however many years now he guarantees goals. If it was that easy at Bayern, then everyone else would be scoring 40 goals.”
Do Liverpool need to sign a No.9 in the summer of 2022?
Getty ImagesLiverpool do not have an out-and-out goalscorer on their books in the Haaland or Lewandowski mould, but that is because their system does not require one – with the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane managing to keep things ticking over in the final third.
Roberto Firmino has often been the man asked to lead the line, with his selfless work rate making him an ideal fit for Klopp’s ‘gegenpressing’ approach, and James sees no reason why a side that has won the Carabao Cup and FA Cup in 2022, while also reaching the Champions League final, should worry about what others are doing.
He said when pressed on whether Liverpool need to find a more natural focal point for their attack: “It’s a difficult argument to have. City have got to work out how they are going to play with, theoretically, a proper No.9. If you look at Chelsea with [Romelu] Lukaku, Chelsea and Man City contested the Champions League final [in 2021] without a No.9. They proved that they are the best teams in Europe without a No.9, and then one team gets one and all of a sudden their season falls apart.
“In Haaland, if Man City are going to change the way they play for one player, then arguably you would end up with a different outcome. I don’t think Haaland is necessarily going to go straight in there as a No.9, and therefore do Liverpool need to match up? Well, City didn’t beat Liverpool this season. Liverpool lost the title by one point and goal difference.
“The irony of all of this is that Liverpool have only lost three games all season. What’s the issue here? It sounds obvious but they need to win more games than drawing them, as opposed to City losing more games. Is that down to not scoring enough goals or is it down to conceding too many? Weirdly, they won the Golden Boot and Golden Glove, so they are ticking both boxes.
“I don’t think they need to go out and look for another Haaland. The model that Klopp and Liverpool have got as a club is proving itself this season. You can only imagine that next season will be the same. I don’t think they need to match City in the transfer market.”
Will Liverpool look to sign another striker?
Questions have been asked of how much longer Firmino will be sticking around at Liverpool, while Salah and Mane are also working on contracts through to 2023 and are yet to agree extensions to those terms.
Klopp also has the likes of Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz at his disposal, with a Portuguese forward proving that he can operate down the middle and deliver a healthy haul of goals, and James believes that the Reds will have a grand plan when it comes to forward-thinking transfer calls.
A man that spent seven years at Anfield between 1992 and 1999 added: “The Liverpool model with recruitment has been exceptional. The fact they haven’t brought in a No.9 to this point would suggest that the way they have recruited is to keep this fluidity.
“With Mo Salah, of all the players that Liverpool have got, he is the most stationary. Mane and Diaz can play in multiple roles, whereas Salah does play in that one role. They already have a stationary player, but the fluidity around that player is the key to Liverpool’s success. To have two stationary players, I think you are asking for trouble.”
