Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is facing one of the trickier periods of his seven-year Anfield tenure.
His first few years on Merseyside were all about building a team to compete with Manchester City and challenge for trophies, so the setbacks which occurred were expected and managed well.
Since he has led the club to Champions League and Premier League glory, amongst a host of other trophies, expectations have risen exponentially.
With only two points from their opening three league matches until Saturday’s 9-0 romp against Bournemouth, Klopp might well be about to perform a transfer U-turn and delve back into the market for a midfielder.
This marks a contrast from him recently claiming that Liverpool don’t need to make any more signings this summer, but with his midfield uncharacteristically moribund and overrun against Manchester United, it could be a decision which alters the Reds’ season.
With the problems in midfield and injuries to the likes of Thiago, Naby Keita and Curtis Jones, Liverpool are definitely light on options in the middle of the park.
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Klopp is reportedly keen on Paris Saint-Germain’s Leandro Paredes, who could be available for just €20m (£17m); and with the transfer window to close on Thursday, Reds owners FSG need to act quickly.
The 28-year-old made 15 Ligue 1 appearances last season, and although mainly deployed in a defensive midfield position, the Argentine has a range of attacking attributes which would make him an excellent fit in the Liverpool engine room.
He averaged 68.1 touches per game while having an incredible 96% pass success rate, proving his importance in the PSG team, frequently circling the ball and constantly getting himself involved in the action.
Defensively, he made 1.5 tackles, won back possession 0.5 times and won 61% of his duels per game, providing adequate protection for the back four when required.
Considering the sheer volume of injuries at Anfield, Paredes could form a solid duo in the middle of the park alongside Fabinho, and this could be crucial to enabling Liverpool to control matches again following three poor performances to start their season.
Former PSG player Fabrice Pancrate described Paredes as “perfect” in an interview, and the 28-year-old’s performances last season back up this high praise.
It’s a tense time for Liverpool supporters as the clock ticks down on the summer transfer window, which shuts on Thursday, but Klopp could solve his midfield problem with a late swoop for the Argentine.
from FootballFanCast.com https://ift.tt/1bOD6ws
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