Four days.
The countdown begins.
There are four days remaining until the transfer window slams shut on the world of football, leaving fans frustrated, elated, disgruntled or excited, depending on their team of choice.
Two fanbases with plenty of reasons to be excited are those of Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
Chelsea, perennial big spenders and tenants of the most crowded midfield since Manchester City fans stormed the pitch after winning the title, find themselves in familiar territory.
The Blues, having spent lavishly this summer on Andre Schurrle, Marco van Ginkel, Mark Schwarzer (free), Willian and now Samuel Eto’o, have massively strengthened their squad under returning boss Jose Mourinho.
This influx of new faces will certainly bring with it an exodus of some of the current crop of players. As the old saying goes: "Out with the old, in with the new."
Tottenham Hotspur, on the other hand, have managed to bring in skilled, quality players in numerous positions, seemingly in preparation for the eventual departure of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid.
With Erik Lamela, Etienne Capoue, Roberto Soldado, Nacer Chadli, Paulinho and imminent signing Vlad Chiriches all arriving this summer, Andre Villas-Boas has plenty of new firepower ready to replace Bale once he moves to Spain.
With the influx of quality players to London clubs, there will certainly be a few disappointed faces as young stars watch their positions be filled by better and more expensive talent.
From Chelsea, this could mean that individuals such as Victor Moses, Juan Mata and Kevin de Bruyne seek pastures new after finding their positions filled.
For Spurs, Lewis Holtby and Gylfi Sigurdsson could be looking to pack their bags after being pushed out by the new crowd.
What better place for these players to land than on the red half of Merseyside?
Liverpool need a few fresh faces before the summer transfer window bangs shut, especially since the Notts County injury crisis earlier this week.
While a defender is of utmost importance to improve the Reds’ back line, an attacking presence would also be a welcome addition to complement Daniel Sturridge, Coutinho, Iago Aspas and, eventually, Luis Suarez.
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While Victor Moses seems the most likely of the bunch to come to Anfield according to the Daily Mail, there is still space in the Liverpool squad for someone such as Holtby, Sigurdsson, de Bruyne or even Mata to thrive and contribute to the Reds’ push for a Champions League place.
Last season, Moses was typically used as a substitute, coming on to score 10 goals in all competitions. This strike rate, while not spectacular, is particularly impressive for a player so young and with so few starting opportunities.
His pace and attacking instincts would serve Liverpool well and, according to the Daily Mail, he is one of Brendan Rodgers’ primary loan targets before the transfer window closes.
Lewis Holtby may be the least likely to join Liverpool other than Mata. Holtby, a self-proclaimed Everton fan, would probably rather stay and fight for his place in the Spurs side than play for Liverpool.
Holtby proved his creative prowess last season with a combined 12 assists for Schalke 04 and Tottenham. That kind of creation would combine excellently with Coutinho’s vision and passing, and would net the Reds’ midfield a plethora of chances.
Should Tottenham fail in their rumoured bid to sign Ajax midfield sensation Christian Eriksen, Holtby will have a great opportunity to cement his place in the Spurs first team, thus making his departure to Liverpool unlikely.
Kevin de Bruyne is another creative attacking midfielder who would greatly improve Liverpool’s attack should he arrive. But if the first few games of the season are anything to go by, Jose Mourinho seems to favour using de Bruyne in his midfield rotation.
Should this trend stop before next season, de Bruyne might seek a new home but, for now, all signs point to him getting an opportunity to show his improvement from the past two seasons on loan.
Gylfi Sigurdsson was a Liverpool target last summer, instead opting to join Tottenham before Brendan Rodgers could sign him.
Having already impressed under Rodgers at Swansea, Sigurdsson seemed likely to join his former boss at Anfield before changing his mind near the close of last summer’s transfer window. His Tottenham career has been far from spectacular since joining AVB’s side, having only played a bit-part role last season.
This year could be his renaissance, but with all of the creative signings ahead of him in the pecking order, Sigurdsson may see his stock continue to fall at White Hart Lane. Should he look for a move, Liverpool could snatch him on loan, but this is another player who seems likely to stay where he is and fight for a place.
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Liverpool need reinforcements, that much is plain. The squad is lacking in depth and this season’s bright start could be dimmed this weekend in their fixture against Manchester United.
No matter how the transfer window plays out over the next four days, Liverpool will need to complete at least one new signing to make their ambitions of Champions League football a reality for next season.