Liverpool are ready to sign the £51m World Cup star

Arne Slot should be remembered mostly for his title-winning ability and resilience in difficult times, but there is no doubt that Liverpool needed to make a change at the end of the 2025/26 season.

If the Reds’ home rivals had not fared so well in Europe, their fifth-place finish in the Premier League might not have been enough to salvage a Champions League qualifier at the end of a long and tiring year, benefiting from England’s level of efficiency.

Forget the low end; forget Liverpool’s inability to consolidate results and prevent too many late collapses: Slot’s team finished 24 points worse than the year before, when they won the title. A wonderful breakdown.

Last term it was Alexis Mac Allister, but he has rekindled his enthusiasm in his move to Argentina this summer, helping to take Lionel Messi and himself to a second successive final at England’s expense.

How Mac Allister returns to the World Cup

Mac Allister was one of the main contributors as Liverpool fell by the wayside last season, but he has avenged himself this summer.

For Liverpool, it’s hard to take. It’s promising that Mac Allister is returning to form at the start of the new season, but it’s puzzling to see him playing with the same level of athleticism, fitness and power, as he was so poor last year.

Ahead of the final, the 27-year-old has walked 75.5km for his nation, which is more than anyone else in his team.

This is the same midfielder who went through the treacle under the Slot managers. He lacked intensity or focus or something, something, which took him away from the first-class standards he set when he joined Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m in 2023.

Suddenly, Mac Allister looks like a classy midfielder again, no longer finding the strength and power that served him so well in those first two years on Merseyside, and at Brighton and Argentina before that.

However, his future at Anfield remains uncertain, and with Inter Milan again making Curtis Jones their number one target this summer, there is no doubt that Iraola needs a new midfielder.

Liverpool are leading talks to sign the World Cup midfielder

Jones is looking to impress at his youth club, and while Iraola expressed his admiration for the Scouse midfielder during his press conference as Liverpool head coach, there are few guarantees about the England star’s future.

Liverpool are in need of one or two additions, but with FSG’s efforts largely given to bolstering Liverpool’s attack, it’s good to see that the Reds are ready to bid for Japan’s Kaishu Sano.

According to TEAMtalk, Liverpool are leading the race for the Mainz midfielder, despite the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur showing interest. They are willing to offer the German club something up to €60m (£51m).

A number of assets are tracking the 25-year-old, and sources in Germany suggest that Liverpool are indeed ready to make an offer that would see him sold to Mainz for a record deal.

Sano brings a fun and dynamic approach to the midfield game. He would be a brilliant player, especially given the statistics available in the midfield market.

Sano may have gained credit for his efforts at the World Cup, but in truth, his performances for Mainz last season in the Bundesliga were even more impressive, with his physicality and drive and hunger to win the ball making him a force of nature.

Sano’s speed in a duel is one of his most underrated assets. Indeed, this time, he is surpassing the version of Mac Allister who struggled in the 2025/26 season. He is a steady rhythm maker, accurate in completing his midfield duties.

While Mac Allister has shown signs of revival this summer, there is no doubt that continuing with him as the beating heart of Liverpool’s midfielder would be somewhat risky. Iraola’s ‘rock and roll’ football may be unforgiving, and will require far greater fitness levels than the Reds produced last year.

Sano would have been effective in helping Iraola achieve his goals from the start. Interest in his signature will only grow in the coming weeks, and given the importance of an immediate start to the exciting new season, the Japanese could be an excellent addition.