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Dream Team 2024/25: Liverpool’s top stars, bargain options & players to avoid
Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold are proven performers but their quality comes at a significant cost
EVERY Dream Team manager will be intrigued to see how Liverpool get on once the new season gets underway.
Jurgen Klopp has departed and Arne Slot has the unenviable task of filling the German's shoes with little in the way of transfer activity to bolster the squad.
The Reds' fixtures appear relatively favourable across the first few Gameweeks so many Dream Team bosses will be prepared to back them extensively from the get-go.
With that in mind, let's analyse their top stars, bargain options, and players to avoid.
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TOP STARS
Mohamed Salah (£7m) may have faded towards the back end of last season but still he finished with 330 points to his name, a tally bettered by just four players.
The Egyptian hero is a modern Dream Team legend as somebody who averages 30 goals per season since he joined Liverpool in 2017.
There is a perception among some fans and pundits that Salah is a selfish player but, while it's true he takes a lot of shots himself, no forward created more big chances (28) for their team-mates in 2023/24 - he's an absolute menace in the final third.
The 32-year-old's quality comes at a significant cost as only Erling Haaland (£8.5m) boasts a higher starting price.
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The same can be said of Trent Alexander-Arnold (£5.5m), the most-expensive defender in the game ahead of Gameweek 1.
Clean sheets remain the primary currency for the assets at the back but it's generally a good idea to have some attacking threat too and Anfield's homegrown hero is the cream of the crop.
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Alexander-Arnold's creative stats put most playmaking midfielders to shame and no defender registered more assists or big chances created last season.
It will be interesting to see whether he plays predominantly as an attacking right-back or if Slot follows Klopp and Southgate's lead and deploys the 25-year-old in midfield from time to time.
When we spoke to the overall winner of Dream Team last season, he sang the praises of Luis Diaz (£4.5m) as a differential who many of the other top gaffers foolishly overlooked.
The Colombian winger banked 250 points via 13 goals and eight assists last time out.
Cody Gakpo (£4.5m) looked excellent on the left flank for Netherlands at Euro 2024 but Diaz has impressed during pre-season and is likely to get the nod at the start of the campaign at least.
BARGAIN OPTIONS
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There are strong suggestions Jarell Quansah (£3m) will partner Virgil van Dijk (£5m) at centre-back against Ipswich on Saturday and so he has to be considered an affordable option.
If the 21-year-old is able to lock down a starting spot for the foreseeable future, he will become one of the most-selected defenders in the game.
Elsewhere, Harvey Elliott (£3m) looks cheap for a player who mustered just shy of 200 points in 2023/24 despite averaging 39.3 minutes per Premier League appearance.
The ex-Fulham midfielder is probably too much of a minutes risk to back from the start but managers should keep track of his game time - if he earns a more prominent role he could be a real bargain.
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PLAYERS TO AVOID
This is no reflection on Van Dijk's status but there are better ways to spend £5m in Dream Team this season.
For just £0.5m more, gaffers can back the aforementioned Alexander-Arnold who also benefits from Liverpool's clean sheets but provides plenty more attacking threat.
Alternatively, the top three point-scoring defenders from last season are all available for the same price as the Dutchman: Ben White (£5m), Gabriel (£5m) and William Saliba (£5m).
Dream Team bosses should also tread carefully up front.
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If we assume Salah and Diaz will start on the flanks, that only leaves one place in the front three for either Gakpo, Darwin Nunez (£4.5m) or Diogo Jota (£4.5m).
The latter appears to be the front runner at this stage but Slot will naturally rotate his options, Diaz (and Salah to a lesser degree) included.
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Backing the wrong horse would mean missing out on plenty of points.
It might be wise to wait for a clear indication of the new coach's pecking order before committing £4.5m to either Gakpo, Nunez or Jota but, for those willing to roll the dice, the latter is a tempting punt for the Reds' trip to Portman Road this weekend.
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