Liverpool are preparing for their first season without Jurgen Klopp at the helm for around nine years as they look forward to Arne Slot's first year in charge.
The Dutch head coach has been brought in to succeed the German tactician and will be aiming for instant success domestically and in Europe this term.
Slot has not had the opportunity to add any players to his Reds squad during the summer transfer window, which officially opened for business last month.
There is still over a month left to run before the deadline passes, though, and the Premier League side could still dip into the market to improve the manager's options across the pitch.
The ex-Feyenoord coach may want to add more quality to the group in order to compete for the title next season, after the Reds finished below Arsenal and Manchester City in the division under Klopp last season.
Liverpool have been linked with plenty of exciting talent in recent weeks and months and they should now look to pursue one star who has already proven himself to be a terrific player in the Premier League.
Liverpool's interest in Premier League wizard
Football Insider recently reported that the Reds are one of the teams interested in a possible swoop to sign Crystal Palace attacking midfielder Eberechi Eze.
The outlet claimed that fellow top-flight side Tottenham Hotspur have also registered an interest in the England international ahead of the 2024/25 campaign.
Earlier in the summer, The Athletic reported that the English maestro has a release clause in his current Palace contract that would allow him to move on for a fee of £60m plus add-ons.
What those add-ons would have to add up to above the initial £60m fee is unclear, though, and could potentially be a stumbling block on the road to signing him.
However, it remains to be seen whether or not Liverpool or Spurs are willing to put £60m, minimum, on the table to land the former Queens Park Rangers star before the end of the summer transfer window.
It is also unclear as to what the player is currently thinking and whether he would prefer to stay at Palace, move to Spurs, or move to Anfield, if any of those three options.
Slot, though, should push the board to strike a deal with Palace by paying his release clause as Eze could be a superb addition to the squad at Anfield ahead of next season.
The attacking midfielder could come in to improve the manager's options in the middle of the park, as he could arrive as a big upgrade on current Liverpool midfielder Curtis Jones.
Curtis Jones' 2023/24 season in numbers
The 23-year-old academy graduate once again failed to nail down a place as a regular starter in the midfield for Liverpool, in his sixth Premier League season with the first-team.
He has never started more than 14 league games in a single campaign for the Reds since coming through from the academy set-up in the 2019/20 season.
Despite being a midfielder who attempts to offer quality in possession, Jones has not been able to showcase his attacking ability on a consistent basis at senior level.
The midfield dud endured a difficult year in the 2023/24 campaign as he did not offer much in the way of quality on the pitch in the Premier League.
Jones failed to earn a regular starting spot with his lack of contributions in the final third for Klopp's side, as he managed one goal and one assist in 23 games.
Appearances
23
xG
2.63
Goals
1
Assists
1
Big chances created
0
Key passes per game
0.5
As you can see in the table above, the former England U21 international was a wasteful finisher as he only scored one goal from 2.63 xG in the Premier League, which shows that he did not make the most of the chances that came his way.
The midfielder also offered little in the way of creativity with a dismal return of zero 'big chances' created and one key pass every other game on average across those 23 outings.
These statistics suggest that Liverpool could improve their team by dipping into the market to bring in a midfield star who can make a difference in the final third, like Eze.
Why Liverpool should sign Eze
The Reds should swoop to sign the England international before the summer transfer window slams shut at the end of next month, due to his proven quality in the division.
Unlike a younger player or a talent from a foreign league, Eze has already played in the Premier League and knows what it takes to be a success in the English top-flight.
The £100k-per-week wizard has proven himself to be a brilliant operator at the top end of the pitch and his performances last season suggest that he would come in as a big upgrade on Jones.
Eze ranked within the top 13% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League for non-penalty goals per 90 (0.44) last season, as he produced 11 goals in 27 games.
He also ranked within the top 13% of his positional peers for shot-creating actions per 90 (4.82), which shows that the English ace can consistently create shooting opportunities in the final third.
Appearances
27
23
Goals
11
1
Assists
4
1
Big chances created
7
0
Key passes per game
2.0
0.5
As you can see in the table above, Eze produced far more quality in possession than Jones in the Premier League, with ten more goals, seven more 'big chances' created, and four times as many key passes per game.
The Palace star, who was described as an "entertainer" by analyst Ben Mattinson, also managed ten goals and four assists in 38 league games the previous season.
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These statistics show that the £60m-rated ace has what it takes to deliver consistent quality in the Premier League, which is something Jones is yet to prove and that is why he could come in as a big upgrade on the current Liverpool midfielder.
