Worth Even More Than Kerkez & Guehi: Slot Has Struck Gold on Liverpool “Superstar”
Liverpool completely outclassed the Premier League’s top sides during the 2024/25 season, securing the title under Arne Slot in his debut campaign as manager.
That scenario, however, did not unfold at Anfield. In reality, Liverpool fell short of such dominance. But with the 2025/26 season approaching, the club are preparing to bounce back. Leveraging their stature and recent moves in the market, they have already secured the signings of Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong from Bayer Leverkusen, along with Bournemouth’s promising left-back Milos Kerkez.
The Reds have a history of targeting emerging talent from other Premier League clubs, and this summer appears no different. With a £34 million fee agreed with Leverkusen for Jarell Quansah and Ibrahima Konaté’s contract nearing expiry—amid reported interest from Real Madrid—sporting director Richard Hughes has turned his attention to Crystal Palace defender Marc Guehi.
Liverpool may well have set a new British transfer record this month—Wirtz’s £100 million base fee potentially rising by £16 million in add-ons—but the club often favour more understated deals. Rather than chasing only big-name stars, they consistently identify rising talent from less high-profile teams within the division.
A prime example is Andy Robertson, who joined from Hull City for just £10 million in 2017. He has since gone on to earn recognition as one of the Premier League’s finest full-backs of the modern era.
| Most Assists in Premier League History (defenders) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| # | Player | Apps | Assists |
| 1. | Trent Alexander-Arnold | 259 | 64 |
| 2. | Andy Robertson | 308 | 60 |
| 3. | Leighton Baines | 420 | 53 |
| 4. | Graeme Le Saux | 327 | 44 |
| 5. | Kieran Trippier | 204 | 38 |
| Data Source: Premier League | |||
And who could overlook Gini Wijnaldum? The Dutch midfielder was the relentless, rhythmic engine driving Klopp’s system, recruited from Newcastle United following their drop to the Championship.
Xherdan Shaqiri also deserves a mention.
The underlying message is clear: Liverpool operate with strategic intelligence, targeting players who are already proven in the Premier League but still have room to develop. It appears Manchester United may have taken inspiration from this approach, judging by their pursuits of Matheus Cunha and Bryan Mbeumo.
Although FSG possess the financial clout to attract high-profile names like Wirtz, they remain grounded in their long-standing recruitment philosophy. The £40 million signing of Kerkez from Bournemouth underscores this strategy, and the pursuit of 24-year-old Marc Guehi—who has recently been at the heart of transfer speculation linking him with a £50 million move to Anfield—fits the same mould.
Slot likely has influence in selecting these targets, aiming to shape his version of Liverpool, but he is also benefiting from the solid scouting and recruitment framework established under Klopp. In fact, one particular player, emblematic of this recruitment model, should serve as the benchmark for measuring future signings’ success.
Liverpool Have Struck Gold on Premier League Signing
Much like Kerkez and Virgil van Dijk before him, Alexis Mac Allister has proven to be a brilliant addition to Liverpool’s ranks, arriving from Brighton & Hove Albion in a £35 million deal two years ago.
In his debut season, the Argentine—who played a key role in his country’s 2022 World Cup victory—was deployed as a defensive midfielder after Liverpool’s unsuccessful attempt to sign Moises Caicedo. Under Arne Slot, however, he has since returned to a more advanced role in midfield, helping the team to silverware in both of his campaigns on Merseyside.
What has remained consistent throughout is Mac Allister’s quality at the heart of the pitch. Since swapping the Seagulls for the Reds, the 26-year-old has continued to thrive, with pundit Joe Cole hailing him as a “superstar” capable of performing in any position.
| Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League (LFC) | ||
|---|---|---|
| Stats (* per game) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
| Matches (starts) | 33 (31) | 35 (30) |
| Goals | 5 | 5 |
| Assists | 5 | 5 |
| Touches* | 74.2 | 55.8 |
| Pass completion | 88% | 87% |
| Big chances created | 3 | 6 |
| Key passes* | 1.4 | 1.3 |
| Dribbles* | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Ball recoveries* | 5.9 | 4.2 |
| Tackles + interceptions* | 4.1 | 3.3 |
| Ground duels (won)* | 5.0 (50%) | 4.3 (50%) |
| Data Source: Sofascore | ||
Take a glance at the table above. What stands out? Interestingly, Mac Allister’s role has evolved under Slot—he now plays with less urgency and intensity, instead serving as a composed presence who steers the rhythm of play in line with the manager’s possession-based philosophy.
The South American star perhaps said it best himself: “In terms of the change, perhaps with Jürgen I played as a lone five [holding midfielder]. So, the position was very different. I was much more defensive than anything else.
“So, the system has changed a little, but the main ideas are the same. I think perhaps the big change is in having that patience to have longer periods of possession and dominate games more and obviously that creates more chances.”
The numbers speak volumes. According to FBref, Mac Allister ranked in the top 20% of Premier League midfielders last season for goal contributions, top 16% for progressive passes, top 14% for shot-creating actions, and top 13% for tackles per 90 minutes.
He’s the complete package—his value and technical prowess have soared since joining Liverpool. It’s the kind of upward trajectory that Arne Slot and his team will be hoping Milos Kerkez can replicate, and potentially Marc Guehi too, if he makes the switch from Crystal Palace this summer.
Mac Allister’s impressive development has even caught the attention of Real Madrid. Earlier this year, reports claimed that Florentino Perez would be prepared to pay around €90m (£76m) for the Argentine, who has been identified as a possible long-term heir to Luka Modric’s soon-to-be-vacated role at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Naturally, Mac Allister currently sits in a higher tier than Kerkez and Guehi—but that comes with a significant caveat: for now. If all goes to plan, the ball-playing midfielder could soon find his new and prospective teammates matching his valuation and status in the near future.
Liverpool have long demonstrated a sharp, calculated approach in the transfer market, consistently identifying emerging Premier League talents and nurturing them into top-level performers—often before the more heavyweight clubs come calling for the finished article.
Mac Allister is a textbook example of this strategy in action, and it may not be long before Kerkez—and potentially Guehi—follow the same path.
In other news, Marc Guehi Revealed True Feelings on Liverpool as Reds Weigh Up Transfer Approach
