EXCLUSIVE: The lowdown on Warren Zaire-Emery as Liverpool eye 'priceless' PSG star

Liverpool are interested in bringing Warren Zaire-Emery to the club.

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Anfield Watch revealed on Friday that the Reds recruitment team are huge admirers of the Paris Saint-Germain midfielder. Rated at €65 million, Zaire-Emery is under contract with PSG until 2029.

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The 18-year-old is an ideal fit for an Arne Slot midfield and the Reds believe they can turn his head. A six-time France international, Zaire-Emery has already discussed Liverpool with Ibrahima Konate.

Liverpool see him as one of the biggest emerging talents in world football and are prepared to spend “whatever it takes” to get him to Anfield.

We spoke with French football expert Robin Bairner of Football Transfers about Warren Zaire-Emery - and what Liverpool’s chances are of signing him.

Zaire-Emery has been in and around the first team for a few seasons now - how much has he kicked on?

When he came into the team, he looked ready for first-team football even at the age of 16 and quickly developed into a regular in the squad and then the starting XI. There’s been a bit of a plateau this season, but certainly nothing alarming. Six senior France caps already speaks volumes about his level.

He seems to be a versatile kind of player - what are his key strengths?

He’s been used primarily as a central midfielder but has also been used as a right-back on a relatively frequent basis by Luis Enrique. His bread and butter is playing in the heart of the field. When PSG are in possession, his key remit is to shuttle the ball forward to those in more advanced areas, and he’s accomplished at doing this.

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He might not look like a typical Luis Enrique central midfielder – he’s much more physically robust than that – but he’s technically excellent. If he was anything other than an expert at retaining possession, he wouldn’t be in the team.

Physically, he’s a monster for 18. He produced a particularly notable performance against AC Milan in the Champions League last year. Although PSG were defeated at San Siro, he covered an outrageous amount of ground and bullied the home players physically, despite being just 17 at the time.

Is there anything he still needs to improve on?

He’s already an accomplished central midfield player given his age and has no glaring weaknesses that have been exploited in Luis Enrique’s tactical setup. He has said that he feels he needs to play faster and toughen up a bit more.

Is he a well-balanced player offensively and defensively?

He’s primarily a deep-lying player, so don’t expect a big volume of goals and assists. Across his career of more than 100 senior appearances, he’s only scored eight times.

He’s certainly capable in the buildup, but he’s not the type of player whose been used to break into the box. Equally, that’s just not how he’s been told to play, so maybe it’s a talent hidden by PSG’s approach.

Who in the Liverpool squad could he replace - Gravenberch, Mac Allister or Szoboszlai / Jones?

Liverpool seem to have been pretty fluid about their midfield options this season and I’d expect that to continue going forward.

Zaire-Emery is capable of playing any of the three midfield roles that Arne Slot has typically assigned but is perhaps least likely to replace Szoboszlai, who has been the player most advanced.

He is likely to be brought into the rotation with Gravenberch and Mac Allister deeper in the team.

Does he yet look like the finished product?

There are always areas of a player’s game that can be polished, but Zaire-Emery already looks a player capable of playing regularly for any club in the world.

Do you see him leaving PSG any time soon?

It’s hard to see PSG letting him go. Their project is about nurturing their own young talent, ideally from the academy and ideally Parisian. WZE ticks both these boxes. On top of this, he’s under contract until 2029, so it’s going to take something extraordinary to prise him away.

What does Luis Enrique think about him?

He loves him, frequently showering him with praise. Speaking last March, he notably said: “I have never seen a player as intelligent in compensating for what his teammates do. For a coach like me, that's priceless.”

The Spaniard has continued to back him even amid his slight dip in form this season, although the arrival of Joao Neves has increased competition in the centre of the field and has seen his minutes more carefully managed.

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Has there been transfer noise around him in France or uncertainty over his contract situation?

He has been forced to deal with the first significant criticism of his career this season, but there’s not been any suggestion that he’ll leave PSG for the moment.

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