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Transfers
Liverpool Round-up: Zielinski latest; Götze alternative; promising youngsters to leave Anfield?
With less than a month to go until the transfer window officially opens, rumours are still rife as clubs attempt to at least get the ball rolling with their business before Euro 2016 kicks off in a week or so’s time. Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp are no different, having seemingly identified targets to add to the additions that have already been made and will be confirmed on 1st July – namely Joel Matip, Marko Grujic, and Loris Karius.
A name who has long been on the lips of Liverpool fans is Piotr Zielinski. At one point in May, it appeared as though his move to Anfield was only a matter of days away from being announced, but since then, all has seemed distinctly quiet. Images of the seemingly put a rubber-stamp on the deal, and reports in appeared to back up the rumour.
There is no doubt that his natural flair, driving runs, and ability to provide assists for his team-mates would all go down well with Jurgen Klopp, but the lack of any concrete information is not particularly encouraging. It is hard to see what would be holding up the deal, as; assuming Zielinski could acclimatise quickly to the Premier League, he would be a valuable addition to The Reds’ line-up.
Having been dealt a series of blows in their pursuit of German star midfielder Mario Götze – starting with The Reds failing to qualify for the Champions League and continuing with that were hardly encouraging – it seems as though the Anfield outfit could turn to another player from the Bundesliga. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg has been on loan at Schalke from Bayern – Götze’s club too of course – and has The magnitude of the club in Hojbjerg’s radar seems to be perfect for Liverpool at this current moment:
“I want to leave and find the right place for me. I need to find something that fits me.”
“It’s clear that it won’t be a top club. I want a place where there is a perspective. That’s important for me because I’ve experienced a lot at only 20 years.”
Furthermore, you have to imagine that the opportunity to work with Jurgen Klopp provides a fairly persuasive argument for most Germans plying their trade in the Bundesliga. The biographer of the charismatic former Dortmund – not a usual source for football gossip, but potentially interesting nonetheless – has :
“Hojbjerg announced that he will leave Bayern this summer and he would relish the opportunity to be developed by Klopp.”
“He knows he isn’t ready to play in the Champions League just yet, which is why Liverpool is the perfect option.”
“Hojbjerg is a real talent, a class act in midfield with bags of potential. He’s just the type of player Klopp likes.”
While the rumour does seem to have legs, and Hojbjerg may be well capable of emulating the rapid rise of Emre Can at Liverpool due to his supreme natural talent, the question does arise as to whether this is really the position that Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool need to be dedicating much-needed time and resources towards? The Reds possess so many midfielders in their squad already, even if the likes of do end up heading for pastures new.
Another result of the Merseyside giants lacking any form of European action next term – in addition to becoming a less attractive proposition for Götze – is that they will not need quite as large a squad as would have been envisaged a few weeks ago. This may well have already been a factor in the exits of Jordan Rossiter and Jerome Sinclair, and could end up seeing several more youngsters depart over the summer, whether on loan or indeed permanently.
Lazar Markovic – who spent the last campaign on loan at Fenerbahce – divided supporters during his first season at Anfield. A slow start to his career in the Premier League sparked into life when Rodgers switched him both positionally and tactically, but he seemed to lose his way in the final few months of 2014/15 and unfortunately for the Serbian international, did not exactly tear up any trees in Turkey either. Currently working his way back from yet another muscular injury, it will be even more of a struggle for him to force his way into Jurgen Klopp’s plans, given the resurgent form of Adam Lallana, the presence of bright prospects that the German has already observed at first-hand such as Sheyi Ojo, and his apparent reluctance to do much more than attack.
Whether Liverpool would be able to find any suitors for Markovic is another question entirely, and it is even less likely that they will be able to recoup the majority of the £20 million paid to Benfica a couple of summers ago. This may end up forcing Jurgen Klopp’s hand, but it does not seem as though there will be a shortage of potential destinations for Jordon Ibe, should the youngster’s future lie away from Anfield. The England winger often bore the brunt of Klopp’s in-game rants last term and while he is famed for working with young talents to improve them dramatically, receiving a healthy fee for him may persuade a sale to be sanctioned, in order to accumulate greater funds that could be spent elsewhere.
Interested parties apparently include , but perhaps a loan deal is best for the former Wycombe man who is looking to recapture his best form. At such a young age and having demonstrated a terrific underlying ability already in a red shirt, it is hard to imagine too many on the Kop shouting from the rooftops for Ibe to be sold, instead wishing to see him return to light up the stadium once more at some point in the near future.
Leave your thoughts on the rumours in the comments section below. How would the potential arrivals and departures affect Klopp’s side in the coming season, and who should The Reds look to bring in?
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