Why Liverpool REALLY want to sign ex-Barca wonderkid Nico Gonzalez

Liverpool scouts are in awe of Nico Gonzalez at FC Porto following his incredible performances this season.

Anfield Watch revealed exclusively that Gonzalez has been targeted by the club and that he has a release clause of €60m, which can be triggered by the Reds as early as the January transfer window.

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However, it's important to note Barcelona have a valid buy-back clause which is active until the end of June 2025 in which they can re-sign Gonzalez, who came from the club's famed La Masia, for just €30m.

At this moment in time, there is no indication the Catalans would trigger that clause. What is clear and obvious is that Liverpool are huge fans of the midfielder and he is someone the club's scouts view as an ideal addition to Arne Slot's midfield.

But just why exactly are the club's scouts so keen on him?

Why do Liverpool want to sign Nico Gonzalez?

On the surface there doesn't seem to be a huge need for a player of Gonzalez's profile. He isn't a typical sitting no.6 who could play in the Ryan Gravenberch role - his profile is more similar to Alexis Mac Allister.

That's a profile Liverpool have plenty of midfielders with Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai also both capable of playing as no.8s.

However, Gonzalez could be an upgrade on Mac Allister for his physical attributes. The Spaniard is a voracious presser of the ball and he covers a lot of ground on the pitch.

If there is one flaw to Mac Allister's game, it's his lack of physical prowess, something that was exploited recently against Tottenham when the Argentine was dispossessed by James Maddison.

We've also seen Mac Allister being linked with a move to Real Madrid recently, and there can be no debate he would probably suit La Liga a lot better than the Premier League.

At 22-years-old, Gonzalez is a slightly more dynamic version of Mac Allister, someone who could be very adept at playing the counter-pressing football Arne Slot is currently deploying at the club.

Being a La Masia product, Gonzalez is of course blessed with great technical qualities as well. As per FBref he ranks in the 88th percentile for passes into the final third and in the 86th percentile for progressive passes.

He is able to carry the ball forward as well and take players on ranking in the 85th percentile for successful take-ons and in the 84th percentile for carries into the final third.

Those numbers combined with his brilliant reading of the game and his ability to cover so much ground defensively makes him a dream midfielder for Liverpool.

That is why the club's scouts have been so impressed by him and that is why he is on the Reds' shortlist at the moment.

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