Liverpool's season has fallen apart at the final stage, the last point of Jurgen Klopp's illustrious tenure, with high hopes in the Premier League, Europa League and FA Cup wilted.
There is still a sliver of hope that the Merseysiders will string together a late-stage purple patch but it hardly seems likely that Arsenal and Manchester City will suffer nosedives with just a few fixtures left to play this term.
Of course, the fact that Liverpool had soared into title-contending ascendancy at all bears testament to Klopp's elite tactical and interpersonal skills, having fallen by the wayside last year and missed out on Champions League football.
With Arne Slot arriving from Feyenoord to succeed the esteemed German, he will have a task on his hands in keeping Anfield at the forefront and could move to sign one of his current players to kickstart his incumbency.
Liverpool could sign Slot favourite
Slot's high-pressing, electric-energy style of play will suit Liverpool supporters just fine, and while it doesn't differ wildly from Klopp's brand of football, there's no question that tweaking and tinkering is a prerequisite.
Klopp succeeded in making sweeping changes to the midfield last summer, clearing Anfield of the debris that had bogged down the 2022/23 campaign, but the wastefulness of the forwards and the fragilities of the backline have illuminated the urgency for fresh faces.
One such addition could arrive in the form of Slovak defender David Hancko, who has been on Liverpool's radar over the past year and has been a central part of Slot's system at Feyenoord.
Hancko is a left-footed centre-half with elite ball-playing and technical qualities that would make him a dream for Liverpool's team – especially considering he knows Slot's modus operandi perfectly already.
The player's agent actually confirmed back in January that Liverpool hold an interest in the 26-year-old and had made contact, and while much has changed at Anfield since then, Slot's imminent appointment could see Hancko join as the first addition to the new era.
David Hancko's style of play
Feyenoord signed Hancko from Sparta Prague on a four-year contract in 2022, arriving for a fee of around €6m (£5m). He had previously failed to make a significant impact in Italy with Fiorentina but put it all together to enjoy a stunning rise under Slot's wing.
Indeed, having completed 90 fixtures for Feyenoord, Hancko has scored ten goals and supplied eight assists for his teammates, instrumental in winning the Dutch Eredivisie title last season and the KNVB Cup this season – the equivalent of the FA Cup.
As per FBref, Hancko ranks among the top 17% of central defenders across divisions similar to the Dutch Eredivisie for goals, the top 16% for assists, the top 15% for pass completion, the top 1% for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and progressive carries and the top 2% for successful take-ons per 90.
This basically means that Hancko is one of the most dynamic and enterprising defenders in Europe, creative and progressive both with and without the ball.
Moreover, the 6 foot 2 titan comes out on top in 61% of his 4.0 contested duels per game in the Dutch top flight, as per Sofascore, suggesting that he does indeed incorporate the full gamut into his playing style.
Matches played
31
Matches started
31
Clean sheets
15
Goals
4
Assists
2
Pass completion
89%
Touches per game
102.2
Key passes per game
0.8
Tackles per game
1.0
Clearances per game
2.8
Ball recoveries per game
6.9
Duels won per game
4.0 (61%)
Dribbles per game
0.9 (84%)
Having produced some masterful performances in the Eredivisie this season, Hancko might just be ready for a shot at the Premier League, replete with the full skill set needed to succeed.
How David Hancko would fit in at Liverpool
With such a robust style of play, strong in the tackle, inventive in possession and all the while maintaining a gloss in his overall play, confident and composed in possession, it's hard to believe that Hancko – who has been lauded as "quality" by data analyst Ben Mattinson – wouldn't stand a good chance of cementing a role of high importance on Merseyside.
His left-sided preference would see skipper Virgil van Dijk – who also has Eredivisie connections following a prior stint at Groningen – move over to his favoured right side, a spot that he has scarcely seen during the bulk of his Liverpool career, in a switch that could increase the fluency of Liverpool's backline.
Hancko would evidently relish the chance to form such a partnership, after previously confessing his "love" for the towering skipper, while also describing potential similarities between the pair:
“I love Virgil van Dijk. I don’t want to compare myself with Virgil, but that invincible feeling he exudes was something I felt last season very strongly.
“Just like Virgil, I am not afraid of anyone. But that is different from not respecting my opponent.”
Andy Robertson, who is no doubt a Liverpool legend but can't seem to shake off his detractors this year, isn't performing with quite the same level of energy that has been a staple since he joined from Hull City for just £10m in 2017.
Robertson is still one of the most creative full-backs in Europe and with a force such as Hancko covering staggering stretches of ground and always pushing the play forward, he could find comfort in surging further upfield, bolstered by the Slovakia international's presence.
What's more, Hancko could even relieve Ibrahima Konate of his first-choice spot in the Liverpool first team, with the Frenchman under fire recently for his part at the epicentre of Liverpool's decline, with The Athletic's James Pearce even calling him "dreadful" during Liverpool's home loss against Crystal Palace in the Premier League.
The reporter also remarked that Konate was a "distant second best in the battle against Calvert-Lewin" during the damaging defeat against Everton in midweek – Hancko hasn't made a single error leading to a shot in the Eredivisie this season, whereas Konate is riddled with mistakes at the moment.
Discussing Konate's effort at Goodison Park, The Liverpool Echo's Ian Doyle branded him with a 3/10 match rating, writing: 'Nightmare first half for the Frenchman, who was bullied by Calvert-Lewin and got in the way to set up Everton opener. Instantly gave ball away at start of second half. Subbed.'
With Joel Matip recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament rupture and out of contract at the end of the season, Konate can't be trusted to serve as Van Dijk's unwavering defensive partner – not with just unrefined rising star Jarell Quansah to serve as understudy.
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Hancko would tick a lot of boxes and he might just be the kind of multi-functional signing to increase Liverpool's chances of success at the start of a new chapter.