Liverpool PREPARING move for World Cup WINNER who is Arne Slot's IDEAL no.6
Say it quietly, but Liverpool might be in a major transition period.
Not only do they have a new manager, but their three biggest stars may all leave the club in the summer and they’re unsure of the depth pieces they have at centre-back, full-back and all over midfield.
With Ryan Gravenberch making an unexpectedly excellent start to the season, Alexis Mac Allister seemingly returning to his old form and questions surrounding Dominik Szoboszlai’s consistency, the future of the middle of Liverpool’s pack is still up in the air.
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A report by CaughtOffside
This compounds an earlier report on Liverpool’s interest in German starlet Florian Wirtz - which would go some way to indicate Szoboszlai’s future - but interestingly also reports interest in Argentinian midfielder Exequiel Palacios.
The World Cup winner cuts an exciting figure. He played the majority of games for Leverkusen in a defensive midfield role last season, but also played significant minutes in a more traditional number 8 space. When compared to both Gravenberch and Mac Allister, he seems to sit somewhere in the middle of the two making him an ideal addition.
2.61 shot-creating actions per-90 to Mac Allister’s 3.19 and Gravenberch’s 1.4.
2.96 tackles per-90 to Mac’s 3.19 and Gravenberch’s 2.4.
His tackles primarily come in the defensive 3rd of the pitch - 1.38 per-90 - whilst Mac’s come in the middle third (2.13) and Gravenberch’s come in the attacking 3rd (1).
Statistics aren’t everything, of course, but they go a way to indicate the type of player that Palacios is. He has been essential to the overwhelming style that Xabi Alonso has implemented at Leverkusen, a style which - importantly - appears similar enough to Arne Slot’s counterpressing on Merseyside so far.
As a result, the Argentinian could be moulded to perfectly fit the system Arne Slot is implementing at current. He could switch in for Gravenberch and be trusted to win the ball back like the Dutchman does - he may just need to be given freedom to push higher up the pitch from a more reserved position. He could replace Mac Allister if necessary, with the ability to commit to duels and create chances in a similar manner to his fellow countryman and, with Florian Wirtz next to him, he has already shown the ability to perfectly compliment a creative, clinical attacking midfielder.
It would be a real statement of intent by Arne Slot if this was a deal Liverpool saw through. Leverkusen Managing Director for Sport, Simon Rolfes, has already said Palacios is going nowhere this summer. Only time will tell.
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