Liverpool fans are waiting for the club to announce the signing of Mohamed Salah.
The latest from the Liverpool Echo is that Salah will undergo a medical on Thursday ahead of his £39 million move from Roma.
The club’s supporters were left disappointed by reports that the Egyptian will wear the number nine shirt at Anfield. They see it as evidence that Jurgen Klopp won’t be signing a striker in the summer transfer window.
But, based on how Liverpool’s recent No. 9’s have performed, perhaps nobody should wear the number.
Christian Benteke, Rickie Lambert, Iago Aspas and Andy Carroll have all worn the number in recent years. And neither is regarded as anything close to a Liverpool legend.
Yet there was a time when the No. 9 was worn by the club’s biggest names. Before Benteke and Lambert, Ian Rush and Robbie Fowler both wore the coveted shirt.
So too did Fernando Torres, of course.
The 10 players to have worn #9 for Liverpool
GiveMeSport has a look at each of the 10 players to have worn the shirt in the Premier League era. There’s the good, the bad and the downright ugly.
We’re looking at you, El Hadji Diouf.
Ian Rush
Robbie Fowler
Nicolas Anelka
El Hadji Diouf
Djibril Cisse
Fernando Torres
Andy Carroll
Iago Aspas
Rickie Lambert
Christian Benteke
That’s some list. You’ve got the brilliant - Rush, Fowler, Torres - the disappointments - Benteke, Lambert, Carroll - and the one player every Liverpool fan wishes never played for the club, Diouf.
Where will Salah fit in?
Salah will be hoping he lands in the first category. The 24-year-old endured a forgetful spell at Chelsea but returned to his best in Italy, to the point that Liverpool are prepared to make him their most expensive player in history.
Salah’s arrival provides an indication of the way Jurgen Klopp wants to set his side up next season.
Philippe Coutinho is likely to be deployed in a deeper position - his performance as a number eight in May’s 4-0 win over West Ham was flawless - and it’ll be down to Salah, Roberto Firmino and Adam Lallana to push further forward.
Whether Klopp will even start with a recognised striker remains to be seen. Daniel Sturridge’s future remains unclear while there may not be a need for Divock Origi in the starting line-up with the surrounding talent.