There's not a great deal to complain about at Liverpool right now – bar the usual injuries and Mohamed Salah and Wataru Endo's absences on international duty this month – with Jurgen Klopp's side firing across all cylinders.
Top of the Premier League after 20 fixtures, there is a growing belief that the Anfield side could claim their second league title under Klopp's leadership, also into the semi-finals of the Carabao Cup and the knockout stage of the Europa League.
January 2019 was the last time the Reds opted not to strengthen the ranks at the season's midpoint, and while Luis Diaz and Cody Gakpo's additions over the past two years suggest that business could be done this month, last summer's sweeping changes mean that it is unlikely anything drastic will happen.
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Joel Matip is out for the season but Jarell Quansah's rise to the fore has come at the perfect time, with Endo's recent displays anchoring the midfield suggesting that heavy spending is not needed in that department.
This is not to say that Liverpool aren't monitoring and plotting ahead of the campaign's conclusion, however, with a Premier League phenom reportedly being lined up.
Liverpool transfer news – Michael Olise
According to Football Insider, Michael Olise's new release clause with Crystal Palace is well in excess of £40m, with Liverpool – alongside Chelsea and Manchester City – interested in securing his signature.
Chelsea activated Olise's £35m release clause in August but a completed deal never materialised and the Eagles convinced their star attacker to sign fresh terms, raising the buyout in his contract.
Liverpool have been sending scouts to observe the France U21 international in action for the past few months and will be at the front of the race to sign him in the summer.
Michael Olise's style of play
Palace signed Olise from Championship club Reading for only £8m in 2021, and after an impressive debut campaign that saw him clinch 12 direct goal contributions from just 16 starts across all competitions, the whiz posted 11 assists from 31 starts during the 2022/23 league campaign.
As per FBref, the 22-year-old ranks among the top 16% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 10% for shot-creating actions, the top 15% for tackles, the top 13% for blocks and the top 6% for interceptions per 90.
Inventive, artful and industrious, Olise embodies the application and dynamism that Klopp demands in a player, and it would be wise to ensure that moves are made to stand a good chance of closing a deal in several months.
Strengths
Weaknesses
Crossing
Aerial duels
Creativity
Tackling
Taking set-pieces
Dribbling
Direct free-kicks
Ball retention
Defensive contribution
*Sourced via WhoScored
A man of many talents, Olise would be a credit to Liverpool's team and could even serve as the principal creative outlet, allowing the dynamite forwards to wreak havoc with their shooting.
Of course, playmaking isn't the only string to Olise's bow, as has been evidenced through his clinical exploits this term…
Michael Olise's season in numbers
Returning from a hamstring injury that ruled him out of the opening three months of the 2023/24 campaign, Olise has plundered five goals and an assist from just seven Premier League matches so far.
Heralded as a "pure joy to watch" by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 5 foot 10 gem has been an electric presence, maintaining his flair and creativity despite his newfound cutting edge.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, Olise has completed 81% of his passes and averaged 2.2 key passes, 2.7 dribbles and 7.4 duels per game.
Certainly not one-dimensional, it's no wonder that some of English football's mightiest forces are eager to secure his services, and should Klopp succeed in this transfer endeavour, he might even make a transformative move to replicate Tottenham Hotspur's signing of James Maddison.
Why Michael Olise would be Klopp's own Maddison
Maddison was crowned the Premier League's Player of the Month in August after a brilliant start to life in London, signing from relegated Leicester City for £40m last June.
While the Foxes fell into the second tier, the 26-year-old was hardly culpable after scoring ten goals and providing nine assists from only 28 starts.
But such feats attracted Spurs' attention and his signing was considered a bargain for one so talented, with the Times' Henry Winter remarking that it was "buys of the summer", especially given that Newcastle United had fiercely pursued a transfer since the PIF takeover back in 2021.
The Magpies failed with a £50m summer bid in the past before seeing fresh discussions come to nought after Tottenham edged ahead in the race.
The England international has been sidelined with an ankle injury for the past few months but is soon to return to match action and continue to stake his claim as one of the finest creators in the Premier League, averaging 2.9 key passes per outing.
The £170k-per-week star ranks among the top 3% of positional peers for assists, the top 1% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, showcasing his elite ball-playing ability.
While Maddison plays centrally and Olise tends to be deployed out on the right wing, Liverpool could triumph in signing a creative player from a lower-positioned side in the league ladder and nurture them toward a starring role at the forefront of the European game.
After all, Kulig has said in the past that the Selhurst Park maverick is “one of the best wide playmakers in Europe”.
The fact that Chelsea failed to sign Olise at the start of the season draws another parallel between this transfer saga and Maddison's; Liverpool will need to ensure that they capitalise and sign an elite talent.
