Liverpool: Tyler Adams would be a Gini repeat
The Leeds midfielder is a “tackling machine”…
midfield.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has already signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m and
Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60m, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia subject to two bids from the
Anfield side as they look to further improve the centre.
With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both headed for Saudi Arabia, Klopp might be inclined to secure another
signing to ensure his side does not get exposed, and given the recent update regarding Leeds United’s Tyler
Adams, Liverpool might look into the possibility of a deal.
Is Tyler Adams joining Liverpool?
Last month, TEAMtalk reported that Liverpool were interested in signing Adams following the Whites’ relegation
from the Premier League, but the £40m demands were seemingly a deterrent and the Anfield side pushed no
further.
But now, a fresh update could prompt Klopp to return for the USMNT international, with The Athletic, ever-
reliable, revealing that the 24-year-old actually has a £20m release clause in his contract.
How good is Tyler Adams?
Since arriving at Elland Road for around £20m one year ago to replace Manchester City-bound Kalvin Phillips,
Adams managed to impress despite the disarray Leeds found themselves in.
As per Sofascore, the defensive midfielder scored an average rating of 6.98 – as per Sofascore – in the Premier
League across his 24 outings, which was bettered only by youngster Darko Gyabi, who started just twice.
Adams completed 82% of his passes throughout the campaign and averaged a key pass every match from his role
deep in the Whites’ midfield, notably dazzling with his defensive output, where he averaged 3.7 tackles and 1.5
interceptions per game, also succeeding with 55% of his ground duels.
Compare this to the languid output of Fabinho, who only won 48% of his ground duels, averaged 1.8 tackles and
one interception per game, and it’s clear to see that Liverpool could utilise such a high-octane force.
Adams’ work rate and tenacity is best illustrated by FBref, displaying his ranking among the top 1% of
midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and the top 3% for interceptions per 90, leading Kevin
Campbell to appropriately name him a “tackling machine”.
The 24-year-old looks to have the making of a first-rate star, and the mere fact that he has suffered the ignominy
of relegation should not dissuade Klopp from negotiating a deal; it hasn’t before.
Indeed, Andrew Roberton, Xherdan Shaqiri and Gini Wijnaldum are all examples of Liverpool’s recent success in
swiping players from clubs to have faced the fall into the English second tier, with the latter perhaps the typifier
of why it is an investment worth making.
Wijnaldum joined the Reds from Newcastle United for £25m as a 25-year-old in 2016, going on to make 237
appearances and winning a wealth of major honours, including the Premier League and Champions League, and
was deemed “irreplaceable” by Richard Jolly for conducting his industrious work in the centre of Klopp’s
midfield.
Given that Adams boasts a similar tenacious approach and would arrive at Anfield roughly the same age as the
Dutchman, it might be wise for Klopp to look to repeat the trick and provide his side with a steely new force to be
reckoned with.
Read Next:
Liverpool: Improved bid for Romeo Lavia expected
The battle to sign the Southampton midfielder continues.
Liverpool are expected to make an improved bid of £42.5m for Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, according
to an update from journalist Fabrizio Romano.
How much does Romeo Lavia earn?
The Belgian, who currently earns £25,000 per week on the south coast, has stood out as one of the Reds’ most
wanted transfer targets of the summer transfer window so far, having impressed for Saints in a losing cause for
much of last season, as they were relegated from the Premier League.
With Fabinho set to be heading to Saudi Arabia, Lavia looks to be the primary option to come in as Liverpool’s
new No.6 with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai already heading to Anfield from Brighton and RB
Leipzig respectively.
Liverpool have already had a £40m bid rejected, but they won’t necessarily have it absolute plain sailing, in terms
of other suitors coming along. Lavia has been linked with moves to Chelsea and Arsenal this summer, and a new
update suggests that the former aren’t giving up on signing him, viewing him as a potential alternative to Moises
Caicedo.
Could Liverpool still sign Romeo Lavia?
Taking to Twitter, however, Romano claimed that Liverpool, and by extension owners FSG, are going to table an
improved offer for Lavia imminently, as they look to get their man:
“Liverpool and Southampton, in contact to discuss Romeo Lavia deal again today. New bid expected to be
around £42.5m plus £2.5m add ons fee – as reported on Wednesday. Southampton insist on £50m package but
details of the deal/payment terms and more being discussed.”
The idea of Liverpool missing out on Lavia at the eleventh hour doesn’t bear thinking about, at a time when new
midfield signings are badly needed, having already lost Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain this summer.
With Fabinho on course to follow Henderson to Saudi Arabia in the very near future, a previously well-stocked
area of the pitch now looks a little threadbare, as things stand. There were major midfield problems throughout
last season, both due to a lack of energy, ageing players and injuries, and the Reds cannot afford to be hampered
there again in 2023/24, considering it could have the potential to derail their campaign once again if further
signings don’t come in.
The 19-year-old does seem to want to join the Reds over Chelsea, however, which is a massive positive for the
club, with the lure of working under Jurgen Klopp potentially proving to be key. Assuming the move does go
through, Liverpool could be getting a special young talent who may master the No.6 role and prove to be the
perfect long-term replacement for Fabinho.
Expecting brilliance from him every week would be unfair, considering how young he is and the fact that he is
still learning as a player, but he has famously been lauded as “incredible” by Pep Guardiola in the past, having
been at Manchester City before moving to Southampton last summer, and journalist Jacob Tanswell
has described him as “frankly ridiculous”, in terms of the talent he possesses at such a young age, further
highlighting how high his ceiling is.
This May Interest You:
Chelsea: Emi Martinez could finally replace Courtois
After five years, can Chelsea finally replace the imperious Belgian?
Chelsea’s goalkeeping conundrum is still shrouded in uncertainty.
Kepa Arrizabalaga is currently on track to start the upcoming season as the first choice, but there have been
mixed reports about the situation.
Is Kepa Arrizabalaga staying at Chelsea?
After the pre-season draw with Newcastle, Mauricio Pochettino provided the following statement on the
Spaniard: “We are so happy with him. He shows great commitment and adapting to the new demands. He is a
fantastic keeper.”
However, despite this glowing praise, there are also rumours suggesting that the Argentine is seeking to upgrade
the position and move Kepa to one side.
As per Nathan Gissing (via The Chelsea Chronicle), the Blues are still keeping a keen eye on the goalkeeper market.
He said: “I am told Chelsea are still looking at a goalkeeper. They liked Onana, but never made a move. Maignan,
I believe he’s too expensive for Chelsea, so they’re looking for that player who is not overly expensive, but can still
compete with Kepa.”
Therefore, whilst ruling these candidates out, another player who could be a fantastic addition to Stamford
Bridge is Emiliano Martinez.
Is Emiliano Martinez joining Chelsea?
Football Insider reported earlier this summer that the Blues were eyeing a move for the Aston Villa star as part of
Pochettino’s major squad overhaul.
That said, a deal has been complicated by Martinez’s current long-term contract at Villa Park with it set to take a
‘huge fee’ to lure him away from the Midlands. At present, Football Transfers value the player at £30m.
Since joining Villa in 2020, the 30-cap international, hailed as “unbelievable” by Matty Cash, has enjoyed a
meteoric rise to domestic and worldwide prominence thanks to his impressive consistency.
Across 112 appearances for the Midlands club, the world-cup winner has kept 39 clean sheets.
How good is Emiliano Martinez?
During this time, the former Arsenal man has played under Dean Smith, Steven Gerrard, and Unai Emery, all of
whom of retained undeterred faith in Martinez, as he has featured in 110 of the club’s last 114 Premier League
games.
term, the £120k-per-week star recorded the most high claims (60) in the division and ranks within the top 1% in
Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for the percentage of crosses stopped per 90, as well as the
best 22% for goals against per 90.
This player is a pillar of reliability and composure – two traits that Thibaut Courtois possessed in abundance.
Since making his debut for the Blues in 2014, he exuded confidence and permanently displaced none other than
club legend Petr Cech as the first-choice keeper.
Across his time in west London, the domineering Belgian won the Premier League twice and the Golden Glove
once, keeping 58 clean sheets in 154 outings.
Courtois’ Chelsea career unravelled into a completely different direction to Kepa, who has received a torrent of
criticism due to his inconsistency.
Mario Melchiot labelled him as a “liability” and the decision of the previous hierarchy to sign Edouard Mendy
and promote the Senegalese as the first choice was a clear indication of the Spaniard’s faltering pedigree.
In the present day, the £150k-per-week shot-stopper now finds himself as a potential starter due to Mendy’s
sudden decline and exit for Saudi Arabia.
Kepa, who was originally tasked to be Courtois’ replacement, has not fulfilled the assignment, and it would be an
extremely risky strategy for Pochettino to not consider Martinez as Chelsea’s new goalkeeper.
Having been named the best goalkeeper in the world last year, he could well be the club’s finest stopper since the
days of their towering Belgian.
Leave a Reply