Liverpool are tinkering away as they prepare for the start of the 22/23 Premier League season in under two weeks, with a
shock update arising for a former target.
Who are Liverpool signing this summer?
According to Spanish reports, Jurgen Klopp’s Reds are still in with a shout for RB Leipzig central defender Josko Gvardiol,
who has been the centrepiece of a transfer saga with Manchester City.
The fresh news from Spain claims that the Croatian, who is valued at no small sum of £85m, could possibly be hijacked over
the coming weeks with his prospective move to the Etihad Stadium stagnating.
Liverpool are joined by Chelsea and Manchester United in having submitted offers for the defender, and while the Citizens
remain favourites, this is perhaps a deal to keep an eye on.
How good is Josko Gvardiol?
Those who know Gvardiol best are starting to run out of superlatives to describe the 21-year-old prodigy, who has excelled
for club and country of late and looks poised for a career right at the very top of the game.
He would be a credit to any team in world football, having made 87 appearances for his Bundesliga outfit, winning
successive DFB Pokals, and being heralded as a “Rolls-Royce” by journalist Zach Lowy.
Partner this with a third place finish in the 2022 World Cup, and Liverpool would only enrich their ranks with the 6 foot 1
defender’s signature.
Given his favoured left foot and first-rate ball-playing skills, he is the dream heir to Virgil van Dijk’s position in the Reds
system, with the 32-year-old seemingly waning of late and Klopp pursuing a left-sided centre-half this summer.
The Dutchman has been integral to Liverpool’s success since signing from Southampton in a £75m deal, winning a wealth of
major honours including the Premier League and Champions League, but his imperiousness is not eternal and plans are
understandably being made.
Despite this, the £220k-per-week phenom still ranks among the top 12% of centre-backs across Europe’s top five leagues
over the past year for pass completion, the top 4% for passes attempted, the top 18% for goals and the top 8% for aerials won
per 90, as per FBref – the exemplifier of Klopp’s ideology.
Gvardiol could slot into the squad as a book slots into a shelf, evidenced by his own ranking among the top 9% for goals, the
top 1% for passes attempted, the top 18% for progressive passes and the top 4% for successful take-ons per 90, and given his
youthful age there is plenty of room for increments to be made as he charts a course to the highest of eminence.
The stumbling block, of course, comes in the form of Pep Guardiola’s sensational, treble-winning outfit, who also appear to
view Gvardiol as the optimum defensive component to enhance their team, and with the lucrative fee also likely to be a
deterrent, it does indeed remain to be seen if Liverpool could actually get this one over the line.
But if they do, Klopp will wield one of the finest talents in European football, a player so great he could mould his backline
around the “fearless” titan – as he has been labelled by Rio Ferdinand – for years to come.
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Liverpool: Franck Kessie could boost Gakpo
The Barcelona midfielder could be available this summer…
Jorg Schmadtke has, by and large, appeased the Liverpool support since taking the role of sporting director earlier this year,
and the next month will be telling in how well he can close out his first transfer window at Anfield.
World Cup winner and Brighton & Hove Albion star, Alexis Mac Allister, joined for £35m in June, while Dominik
Szoboszlai completed a £60m transfer this month in a move that rose from the shadows and was completed swiftly, in
trademark Liverpool fashion.
Such incomings were necessary following the exits of James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who all left
upon the expiry of their contracts this summer, but with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho now off to Saudi Arabia, the Reds’
midfield feels somewhat thin despite the possible incoming of Romeo Lavia from Southampton.
If Schmadtke can navigate through the perils and perhaps secure one more signing, the Anfield side will feel well-placed to
challenge at the forefront of English football once again.
Who will Liverpool sign this summer?
The latest name to enter the transfer discourse on Merseyside is Barcelona’s Franck Kessie, with the Ivorian ace deemed
expendable by Barcelona, according to Mundo Deportivo.
Sport previously revealed that Liverpool would be willing to part with (£30m) to secure the imposing midfielder’s services,
though given the work done on the transfer front thus far a move might only come into fruition if that valuation is whittled
down.
How good is Franck Kessie?
Kessie is best described as a powerful midfield vehicle capable of crashing into dangerous offensive areas while also boasting
a defensive sheen to his arsenal, having been once heralded for his “devastating” impact by Stefano Pioli.
The box-to-box player would bring physicality to Liverpool’s midfield and could help instil a “warrior” – as called by talent
scout Jacek Kulig – attitude that certainly evaded the Liverpool ranks last year as the team failed to qualify for the
Champions League.
As per FBref, the £149k-per-week midfielder ranks among the top 12% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over
the past year for touches in the attacking box and progressive passes received per 90, confirming his adept skill at ploughing
forward and stretching the opposition lines, hailed as a “beast” by journalist Sacha Pisani.
With the dynamic Cody Gakpo occupying the centre-forward role at Anfield, this could prove to be an invaluable tool for
Klopp as he devises a strategy for success this summer.
Gakpo completed an initial £35m move to Liverpool from PSV in January, arriving at a turbulent time but cementing a
starting berth in the side as Liverpool enjoyed a late-season purple patch to spark renewed optimism in the forthcoming
prospects.
Scoring seven goals and providing three assists for the Reds across 26 outings, the Dutchman has been hailed “magnificent”
by Josh Bunting, and his set of skills could bring the best out of an ace like Kessie.
Indeed, the 23-year-old ranks among the top 10% of forwards for assists, the top 17% for shot-creating actions, the top 8%
for progressive passes and the top 1% for tackles per 90, meaning that not only can he drop deep and pick out forward-
surging players with slick passes, but he gets stuck in and can disrupt the play with his high tackling output.
With this in mind, Klopp may consider signing Kessie, given the support he would have on Merseyside and the duo that
could be formed, with the Ivorian latching onto Gakpo’s creativity and returning to the top of his game.
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