Liverpool are looking to add another dimension to their side, as the squad overhaul continues
(Image credit: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool are poised to add a set-piece master to their squad this summer as Jurgen Klopp looks to squeeze every ounce out of his team to get some improvement.
The Reds finished fifth in the Premier League season just gone, agonisingly close to top four – but now a squad overhaul has begun, with Klopp looking to improve his side. To get back to competing with Manchester City, the Merseysiders are looking to be smart rather than breaking the bank.
Alexis Mac Allister signed for Liverpool for just £35m (Image credit: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Now, The Mail claims that dead ball specialist and relegated Southampton star James Ward-Prowse is next on the shortlist.
The move makes plenty of sense for a number of reasons. The Saints captain will want an immediate return to the top flight to bolster his England chances and has the engine and work-rate needed for a Klopp midfield. Having just been relegated, he may not be expensive either.
But Ward-Prowse's set-piece statistics are another example of Liverpool looking to find an edge over their opponents. The midfielder scored or assisted 13 goals in the Premier League last term with a team that finished bottom of the league – many of which came from free-kicks, corners and penalties.
If Liverpool were to harness that ability, they could well find an edge over the likes of City and Arsenal, who don't have an obvious parallel in their side able to create such danger from dead balls.
Get FourFourTwo Newsletter
The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.
James Ward-Prowse of Southampton was responsible for plenty of free-kick and penalty goals last season (Image credit: Alex Livesey/Getty Images)
The 28-year-old is approaching his prime, though his current contract doesn't expire until 2026.
Mark White has been at on FourFourTwo since joining in January 2020, first as a staff writer before becoming content editor in 2023. An encyclopedia of football shirts and boots knowledge – both past and present – Mark has also represented FFT at both FA Cup and League Cup finals (though didn't receive a winners' medal on either occasion) and has written pieces for the mag ranging on subjects from Bobby Robson's season at Barcelona to Robinho's career. He has written cover features for the mag on Mikel Arteta and Martin Odegaard, and is assisted by his cat, Rosie, who has interned for the brand since lockdown.
