Liverpool could be set for a busy few weeks in the summer transfer window as they shape their squad ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League campaign.
The club are reportedly in talks with Al Ettifaq over a deal for captain Jordan Henderson, who has already agreed personal terms with Steven Gerrard's side.
Meanwhile, Al Ittihad are said to be pursuing defensive midfielder Fabinho. They have approached the Brazil international to discuss terms but are yet to make an official offer to Jurgen Klopp's team as it stands.
Their exits would leave two significant holes within the roster and that could force the Merseyside giants back into the market to make further additions in that area of the pitch.
This comes after Liverpool secured the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister from RB Leipzig and Brighton & Hove Albion respectively, earlier this summer to bolster their options in midfield.
However, changes may occur elsewhere in the squad as the Reds were recently linked with a swoop to sign Zenit winger Malcom, which could mean that Klopp has attacking reinforcements on his agenda.
How good is Malcom?
It is hard to say exactly how good the Brazilian forward is as he is yet to experience Premier League football in his career to date. However, his form in Russia last season suggests that the potential is there for him to be a big upgrade on Diogo Jota for Liverpool.
The 26-year-old hotshot is a versatile player who is capable of being deployed across the frontline, which is also the case for the Portugal international. This means that Malcom could replace the ex-Wolves man's impact as a rotation option out wide or through the middle.
Last term, Jota scored seven goals in 22 Premier League appearances – the joint-fourth most in the team, only behind Darwin Nunez (nine), Roberto Firmino (11), and Mohamed Salah (19).
The right-footed ace struggled to offer much outside of goalscoring as he created 0.8 chances per match for his teammates. 12 other players within the squad produced more creativity, which suggests that the Portuguese forward was not one of the club's standout playmakers.
Malcom, on the other hand, plundered 23 goals in 27 Premier Liga clashes – four more than any of the aforementioned Liverpool attackers managed. Whilst there is no guarantee that it would directly translate to the English top-flight, his record in front of goal indicates that the potential is there for him to be a prolific scorer for Klopp.
The former Barcelona wizard showcased his creativity with 2.3 key passes per outing. Meanwhile, Trent Alexander-Arnold led the way for the Reds with 1.9 per match, which means that the Brazilian talent could come in to split open opposition defences more frequently than the manager's current options.
Malcom, who was once described as "hugely talented" by journalist Ryan Baldi, also averaged a phenomenal Sofascore rating of 7.95 – 0.63 higher than Alexander-Arnold's Liverpool-leading score of 7.32.
Therefore, the £108k-per-week sensation could be a superb signing for Liverpool and a big upgrade on Jota, both in terms of scoring and creating goals, if he can reproduce his form in Russia in the Premier League next term.
