“It’s no good coming second for the next five years” – Paul Merson urges Liverpool to sign Premier League star in order to become champions consistently
Football pundit Paul Merson believes Liverpool should sign Raul Jimenez as their long-term striker in the winter transfer window.
The Reds currently have Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane in their ranks as first-choice attackers. However, none of them are pure center forwards. Jota has often been used in a central role and has largely delivered the goods upfront but Merson believes the club need a proper striker.
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⚽️#LFC should target #WWFC striker Raul Jimenez
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Liverpool will also lose Salah and Mane for around a month at the start of next year. The duo will be representing their respective national teams at the Africa Cup of Nations. Jurgen Klopp's side are said to be monitoring a couple of forwards who can fill the void left by Salah and Mane.
Paul Merson recently shared his thoughts with the Daily Star regarding the situation. He said (via Express):
"Liverpool need to sign a centre forward like Raul Jimenez in January - and not just as cover for the African Nations Cup either. They need someone to come in while Sadio Mane and Mo Salah are away, yes. But I think they need someone for the future too."
Merson believes that if Liverpool sign Jimenez, he would certainly make it into the playing XI. He also feels the Mexican can help Klopp's side fight for the Premier League title.
"They need a player who can put pressure on the front three and help them win league titles consistently for the next few years," Merson said. "It's no good coming second for the next five years. Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino are very good players but I still think they need a proper centre forward and if they brought in Jimenez he would play."
Do Liverpool really need Raul Jimenez?
Raul Jimenez's record with Wolverhampton Wanderers proves his capabilities as a striker.
The Mexican arrived on loan from Benfica in the summer of 2018 and scored 17 goals in 44 appearances for Wolves that season. The Wolves then chose to sign Jimenez to a permanent deal and he repaid that faith by netting 27 goals and laying out 10 assists during the 2019-20 season.
37 - No player has been directly involved in more goals across all competitions for Premier League clubs in 2019-20 than @Wolves' Raúl Jiménez (37 - 27 goals, 10 assists; level with Kevin De Bruyne). Stellar. #UEL #WOLOLY https://t.co/cMgYWiXIxp
A serious head injury derailed the forward's campaign the following year. However, Jimenez has returned to the fold this season and has three goals in 17 appearances across competitions.
There is no doubt about the 30-year-old's caliber as a striker and he could arguably do a good job at Liverpool. However, the Reds' system has often thrived on the underrated creativity of Firmino upfront.
On current form, it's hard to see Jimenez replacing any of Jota, Salah and Mane as well. The Wolves forward, who turns 31 next year, may not really want a bench role either and will likely want to feature regularly. All of these factors mean a move to Liverpool, while beneficial to the club, may not be the best for Jimenez himself.