Season
Apps
Starts
Goals
Assists
2023/24
20
18
2
9
2022/23
18
13
0
0
2021/22
13
5
1
1
2020/21
31
30
5
6
2019/20
29
9
3
3
Stats via Transfermarkt
Slot, like Jurgen Klopp, implements an intense style of football that is birthed from high-octane training sessions, though, unlike his predecessor, the 46-year-old has an exemplary fitness record across his past two clubs: Feyenoord and AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands.
Neto, moreover, has a lot of experience on the right flank, with his left-footed preference allowing him to drift inside and wreak havoc, evidenced by his ranking among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers in the Premier League last season for assists and the top 9% for progressive carries per 90, as per FBref.
The Portugal international would be a dynamic and versatile option for a healthy attacking fold on Merseyside, and while supporters crave the signing of Anthony Gordon, this might actually be the one to go for.
How Pedro Neto compares to Anthony Gordon
Hailed as a "pace monster" by analyst Ben Mattinson, Neto would add a dimension to Slot's wide play and enhance the overall fluency of a Liverpool side that is already tantalising a successful season.
Wolves star Pedro Neto
Gordon was deservedly crowned Newcastle's Player of the Year for 2023/24 after his prolific campaign, scoring 12 goals and supplying 11 assists across all competitions and being praised for taking "it up a level" by pundit Jamie Carragher.
The former Everton player has also hit a career goal contribution rate of 0.28 while on the right, as opposed to 0.40 on the left, so he wouldn't be able to sort out Liverpool's Salah conundrum with the same success as the protean-performing Neto.
Given that Liverpool already yield one of the Premier League's finest left-wingers in Luis Diaz, who has been linked with a move away this summer but seems unlikely to be going anywhere, with no contact pointed Liverpool's way.
And as a further point, while Gordon offered far greater striking output than the Old Gold phenom last season, the underlying numbers suggest that Neto could offer more to the Liverpool first team.
Premier League 23/24: Pedro Neto vs Anthony Gordon
Statistics
Pedro Neto
Anthony Gordon
Matches played
20
35
Matches started
18
34
Goals
2
11
Assists
9
10
Big chances created
7
16
Pass completion
83%
82%
Shots per game
1.8
2.3
Key passes per game
1.9
1.6
Dribbles per game
1.9
1.5
Ball recoveries per game
4.0
3.6
Duels won per game
3.5
5.3
Stats via Sofascore
As you can see from the table above, Neto is a more creative and more progressive player than Gordon, at least, he performed as such last term. His goalscoring wasn't at the same standard but he also played in a goal-shy Wolves team, tasked as the architect of the playmaking.
And a move to Slot's Liverpool could alter that considerably, for the Anfield outfit created more big chances in the Premier League last year than any of their rivals (with 102).
Newcastle player Anthony Gordon
Wolves, conversely, ranked 16th (with 54), making a telling comment on the importance of Neto's creative input. Newcastle, as an addendum, ranked joint-second with 97 big chances created - one can only imagine the chaos Neto would have wreaked if placed in either of the northern sides.
Liverpool must sign Neto this summer; that is by no means meant to discredit Gordon's exciting skillset, but the Portuguese, when fit and firing, is a force to be reckoned with and would make a marked improvement on the Reds.
Liverpool-Anthony-Gordon
0 Comments