Liverpool are back in Premier League title contention this season after languishing to a fifth-placed finish last year, but manager Jurgen Klopp will certainly not feel that his current crop is the finished article.
Anfield has undergone major surgery in the midfield this summer, with a mass exodus repaired through several impactful additions.
The Reds could be busy transfer-wise in 2024, and while some may argue that the frontline is the least in need of repair, the ever-looming prospect of Mohamed Salah's departure warrants attention.
What's the latest on Nicolas Gonzalez to Liverpool?
Liverpool withstood lucrative intrigue from Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad in August, rejecting a staggering £150m transfer offer for Salah, with simply not enough time to even consider replacing such an indomitable offensive force.
And now, it has recently been reported by CalcioMercato, Liverpool could clash against divisional rivals Chelsea to sign Fiorentina star Nicolas Gonzalez, with the 25-year-old attacker viewed as a suitable option to bolster the right wing.
Reliant on their star forward's faculty for goals, La Viola are expected to demand up to €60m (£52m) for the Argentina international, should interested parties step up their interest next year.
How good is Nicolas Gonzalez?
Gonzalez could bring goals and electricity to Liverpool's frontline, with Brentford pushing for his signature in the summer and launching a €43m (£37m) bid, to no avail.
The £64k-per-week ace has scored seven goals and supplied two assists from 11 matches across all competitions this season, having posted 14 goals and five assists last term.
He has been dubbed a "jewel" by OptaPaulo on X (formerly Twitter), and enjoyed stunning success on the field in the past that has also led journalist Josh Bunting to remark that he is a "joy to watch".
While he is not on the same level as Salah, this should hardly dissuade Klopp and co from furthering their intrigue, with his talents aligning with the way Liverpool play, and given that the Reds' £350k-per-week sensation once plied his trade with Fiorentina, scoring nine times from 26 outings, Gonzalez could now replicate his rise.
They are big boots to fill, with Salah ranking among the 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 4% for assists, and the top 1% for touches in the attacking penalty area, as per FBref.
To replace or match Salah's output would be a fool's notion, quite simply, the rate at which the 31-year-old wizard has plundered goals and assists – 194 and 83 from 316 matches, to be precise – is something only the pantheon of modern strikers can emulate.
But the club's activity over the past several transfer windows suggests that Klopp is seeking to suffuse quality across the full frontline, maintaining the incisiveness when the day of Salah's exit does arrive.
And given that Gonzalez ranks among the top 1% of positional peers in the Men's Big Five Leagues and European competitions for total shots, the top 8% for goals, the top 19% for progressive passes, and the top 1% for aerial wins per 90, he certainly offers the dynamism to impress in Klopp's system.
Once described as an "amazing" player by talent scout Jacek Kulig, the 28-cap star is impressing in Serie A and starting to demonstrate a striking record on par with Salah's before he left Italian football to join Merseyside.
And given that Salah was 25 when he joined Klopp's team, the cogs are there for Gonzalez to take the next step in his burgeoning career and serve as a frightening new option at Liverpool's disposal.
