Liverpool concentrating on transfer for £60m “phenomenon”

Liverpool are anticipated to make a late surge towards an elusive first-team signing earlier than the switch window slams shut subsequent weekend, with outgoing enterprise beginning to acquire steam.

Fabio Carvalho was bought to Brentford in a deal rising to £27.5m final week and sought-after defender Sepp Van den Berg is within the technique of becoming a member of him on the Gtec in a £25m switch. Bobby Clark has additionally been bought to RB Salzburg, newly led by Pep Lijnders, for a £10m payment.

Such gamers aren’t first-team regulars and can revenue in extra of £60m, ostensibly offering sporting director Richard Hughes with ample funds to bolster Arne Slot‘s squad with an impactful addition.

Furthermore, Joe Gomez is contemplating leaving, with no scarcity of suitors for the £45m-rated defender. Ought to he go away, Liverpool would unquestionably be left gentle on the rear, and it might be paramount {that a} recent face be introduced in to make sure that the brand new period goes off with no hitch.

Liverpool switch information

In keeping with Sky Germany’s Philipp Hinze, Liverpool are all in favour of putting a late-window deal for RB Leipzig’s Mohamed Simakan, although the curiosity isn’t but superior.

That is seemingly right down to Gomez’s persevering with function in Liverpool’s squad, certainly making ready for Brentford’s forthcoming journey to Anfield. Ought to the cogs shift, then intrigue may speed up with a snap.

Simakan, aged 24, is believed to have a €70m (£60m) launch clause and whether or not a extra inexpensive determine may very well be negotiated is unsure, however the Frenchman may carry the right skillset to Slot’s door – changing the departed gamers and really bettering the squad.

Why Liverpool need Mohamed Simakan

The above-mentioned components make for a greater than compelling argument that Liverpool ought to signal a centre-back earlier than the top of the month – and that is with out even mentioning that veteran Joel Matip’s contract expired again in June.

Having signed for Leipzig from Strasbourg in 2021, Simakan has since accomplished 121 matches – scoring seven objectives and including 13 assists – along with his performances serving to his group towards successive DFB-Pokal titles in 2021/22 and 2022/23 and the DFL-Supercup too.

He has the abilities to succeed at an outfit like Liverpool, with Strasbourg reserve group supervisor Francois Keller even claiming that “we shortly realised that we have been coping with a phenomenon” quickly after he emerged on the senior stage.

Liverpool’s return to the Champions League this yr requires some added impetus in defence, and Simakan’s aggression and intelligence may assist the English giants go far as they step again in amongst Europe’s elite.

Simakan’s tactical fluidity means that he may very well be the right Gomez successor, with the dynamic Liverpool defender principally enjoying in the identical roles – although his pliability stretched towards left-back and even defensive midfield final time period.

Particularly when contemplating the character of the 6 foot 1 ace’s skillset. As per FBref, Simakan ranks among the many prime 13% of positional friends throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues over the previous yr for objectives scored, the highest 12% for assists, the highest 3% for shot-creating actions, the highest 9% for progressive carries and the highest 17% for profitable take-ons per 90.

After all, his knowledge pool is swollen in components by his actions between central defence and a wider berth, however he has maintained a pointy passing sport and athletic robustness regardless of the function, solely furthering the argument that he may very well be Liverpool’s man.

With Trent Alexander-Arnold supported by the younger and thrilling Conor Bradley on the defensive proper flank, it is unlikely that Simakan would play the lion’s share of his soccer out vast, and so his signing may even see Liverpool land an improve on Jarell Quansah.

Jarell Quansah improve

Quansah, make no mistake, is among the Premier League’s most gifted up-and-comers. Through the 2022/23 marketing campaign, he plied his commerce with Bristol Rovers in League One, with Klopp liking what he noticed throughout final summer season’s pre-season and integrating him into the senior fold.

Hailed as an “absolute monster” by expertise scout Jacek Kulig, the 6 foot 5 defender featured prominently all year long and performed an instrumental half in successful the Carabao Cup, beginning his skilled profession off with a silver-laden season on Merseyside.

It is necessary to keep in mind that he is nonetheless younger and that Simakan arriving as an improve isn’t truly to make a adverse touch upon his giddy potential. As an alternative, Quansah may benefit from not shouldering too weighty a burden at this stage.

And from a tactical standpoint, Simakan’s artistic ball-playing model may play proper into Slot’s fingers, elevating fluency and opening additional channels for the build-up play.

He additionally received 63% of his aerial battles within the Bundesliga final yr, as per Sofascore, with a headed potential that might bear dividends throughout the period of the yr, for Quansah was subbed off at half-time throughout Liverpool’s Premier League opener towards Ipswich City final weekend.

Slot made a daring name in taking the younger titan off on his debut as helmsman, having supplied such a powerful present of religion in Quansah by beginning him forward of Konate solely to take him off, however his candid comment that Liverpool weren’t successful sufficient aerial battles, with the centre-half dropping half of his duels.

Due to this fact, Liverpool merely must signal Simakan earlier than the switch window slams shut subsequent week. He’s sturdy, bodily and dynamic, with a flexible strategy that might even see him fill in for Alexander-Arnold when want be.

Ought to Gomez be bought, it is crucial that the deal is finished.