OPINION
Adrian Durham is spot on to suggest that Liverpool attacking duo Harry Wilson and Ryan Kent aren’t guaranteed to deliver the goods in the upcoming season and Manchester City will no doubt be licking their lips as a result.
The broadcaster makes it clear that in his opinion the Reds need to keep improving, implying they need to sign players, to give them the best chance of winning the Premier League title as Man City currently have more quality to call upon.
Durham in particular highlights the fact that if Kent and Wilson are given the chances to feature due to being first-choice back-ups for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, then Jurgen Klopp would be taking a risk as the attacking duo are unproven.
“LFC were brilliant last season, deserved the UCL, but they need to keep improving to give themselves best chance of title,” wrote Durham via his Twitter account.
“Wilson/Kent may deliver, but nobody can definitely say they will, it’s a risk. City had more quality to call on.”
LFC were brilliant last season, deserved the UCL, but they need to keep improving to give themselves best chance of title. Wilson/Kent may deliver, but nobody can definitely say they will, it's a risk. City had more quality to call on.
— Adrian Durham (@TheAdrianDurham) July 24, 2019
It’s hard to disagree with Durham as no one can guarantee that Wilson or Kent will deliver in the Premier League.
Wilson has made one appearance for the senior side and has never featured in England’s top-flight.
The 22-year-old may have proven himself in the Championship by scoring 32 goals and assisting 14 across the 43 outings he has made, across loan spells at Derby County and Hull City, but the Premier League is a step up.
This is the case even though Wilson particularly shined at Derby last season by racking up three Man of the Match awards and by averaging a rating of 7.01 in the league to help the Rams reach the play-off final. (Source: WhoScored)
As for Kent, he also hasn’t featured in the Premier League before and he arguably would have to make an even bigger step up to excel in the division compared to Wilson.
After all, while the 22-year-old did wow in Scotland at Rangers by scoring six goals, while assisting nine, in 43 outings; when he regularly featured in the Championship when out on loan, he struggled.
Kent has managed only three goals and five assists in 54 Championship outings, so that doesn’t scream Premier League quality.
When you consider unproven players like Kent and Wilson could end up featuring for Liverpool in the upcoming campaign, it must inspire Man City’s hopes of wrapping up another league title.
After all their back-up options could be considered as being players such as Gabriel Jesus, who has played 68 times in the top-flight, and that’s before you take into account who else they may add before the window shuts.
