Liverpool unleashed new Roberto Firmino after beating Manchester United to surprise transfer

It seems a little counter-intuitive to suggest a player who could end up costing £44million may ultimately save Liverpool a fortune in the transfer market.

But, as Liverpool supporters discovered during the second half of the campaign, Cody Gakpo has an uncanny ability of confounding expectations.

Eyebrows were raised when, within hours of the Reds securing a Boxing Day win at Aston Villa on the resumption of the Premier League campaign following the World Cup, it emerged one of the sleeper hits of the tournament was about to arrive from PSV Eindhoven.

Having witnessed the forward in action for Holland in Qatar, there was no doubting the quality and potential of Gakpo. And as with Luis Diaz 12 months earlier, Liverpool had shown themselves not averse to snapping up targets who were attracting strong attention from Premier League rivals, in this case Manchester United.

True, two of them – Diaz and Diogo Jota – were injured for the foreseeable. And there was continued doubt over the long-term future of Roberto Firmino, who was temporarily sidelined and eventually chose to leave Anfield when his contract expires at the end of the month.

But if Gakpo had been brought in to ease the pressure on the forward line given the two extended absentees, it is as a long-term replacement for Firmino that he proved himself more than capable over the past six months.

Mind you, the 24-year-old would have been forgiven for wondering what he had let himself in for as he stepped into a horribly misfiring Liverpool team, his Premier League debut seeing him play up front alongside Mohamed Salah in the dismal 3-0 defeat at Brighton in January.

Gakpo had made his Liverpool bow the previous week playing on the left in the FA Cup third round draw at home to Wolves, a position where he had operated with distinction for much of his PSV career. But, aside from another wide role in the league defeat at Wolves a few weeks later and a one-game stint in midfield against Brentford late in the season, he was employed down the middle, nudging summer signing Darwin Nunez to the left flank or out of the team altogether.

A first goal came in the derby win over Everton at Anfield, with other strikes at Newcastle United, Leeds United, West Ham United and Southampton showing he can prosper on the road. But it was his home double in the 7-0 romp against former suitors Manchester United that truly demonstrated his potential. There was also an assist at Leeds and two at home to Tottenham Hotspur.

And it was his ability to press high and bring team-mates into the game while also dropping deeper to help the midfield and run at opposing defences that echoed the outgoing Firmino and provided an answer to a question Klopp had struggled to properly answer in recent years – how best to succeed the Brazilian.

Another positive was Gakpo being available and featuring in each of the 26 games for which he was eligible since arriving, pointing to a durability that isn’t prevalent throughout the Liverpool front line.

with a full pre-season under his belt, the Dutchman offers reason for genuine excitement among Reds supporters next term. Klopp’s new attacking spearhead has finally arrived.

double transfer plan as new claims from Gareth Bale emerge

Your Liverpool morning digest as Gareth Bale makes controversial Champions League claim plus Jorg Schmadtke’s transfer plan as he enters week two on Merseyside

Here is your Liverpool digest for Monday, June 12.

Jorg Schmadtke working on two shortlists for double Liverpool transfer plan

Such is the unquenchable thirst for transfers, no sooner had Alexis Mac Allister been announced as a Liverpool player then the clamour began for the next new face.

And there’s no doubt the Argentina World Cup winner won’t be the last signing as Jurgen Klopp begins to ramp up efforts to reinforce his squad following a hugely disappointing campaign

A busy time, then, for new sporting director Jorg Schmadtke. While predecessor Julian Ward put in the groundwork for Mac Allister’s arrival, the handover is now complete with Schmadtke now taking the lead on all incoming and outgoing deals.

Further bolstering the midfield remains a priority, although Liverpool’s desire to refresh their engine room has prompted open season in terms of players being linked, whether it be agents looking to raise the profile of their client or seeking a better contract from their present club.

Ian Doyle writes.

Gareth Bale makes controversial new claim over Liverpool defeat to Real Madrid in 2018

Gareth Bale has claimed Liverpool players ‘struggled to sleep’ ahead of taking on Real Madrid in the 2018 Champions League final.

An evening that ended in heartache for Jurgen Klopp’s side, the Reds saw Mohamed Salah wiped out of the game by Sergio Ramos before going on to lose 3-1 in cruel circumstances. It’s a game that will forever be remembered for two moments to forget for Loris Karius and a moment to cherish for Bale, whose bicycle kick with seven minutes to play made sure of Real’s win.

You could see the pain in the eyes of Jordan Henderson and the rest of the Liverpool first team after being denied European glory as Madrid celebrated a 13th title in the competition. Despite emerging as a game-changer for Los Blancos from the bench that evening, Bale had only started one game during the 2017/18 knockout phase and expressed his desire for regular game time when speaking after the match.

Bale was again part of the Real squad that got the better of Liverpool last year in Paris as Carlo Ancelotti guided the Spanish giants to another European trophy. Looking back on the first of the Champions League final triumphs at the Reds’ expense, the retired Welshman believes the mentality of Madrid ensured there was only ever going to be one outcome in Kyiv.