Five January additions for Liverpool to address concerns raised by club hero
Three games, three draws. Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool reign has not exactly started in the ‘wild’ manner the German boss talked up during his opening press conference, with many of the problems that plagued the end of Brendan Rodgers’ spell at Anfield still present. This shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that, essentially, the same XI players are taking to the field each week, while Klopp himself has had little time to really work on his ideas given that games have been coming thick and fast since his tenure began.
And without a win since last month’s 3-2 victory over a hapless Aston Villa, questions are being asked. Speaking on Sky Sports during the coverage of Liverpool’s 1-1 with Southampton Jamie Carragher gave his verdict, and although his “church choir” line in reference to his old side’s style makes for easy headlines, the ex-Kop defender’s points regarding a lack of width are certainly more interesting:
“There are no wide players in the squad, there is an abundance of No 10s.” he said on air. “I don’t know how the transfer committee thought they would fit them in.
“That is Jurgen Klopp’s problem now. Maybe he will address that in January but there are four centre forwards and three or four No 10s and no wide players. There are some problems with that squad in terms of the quality and the balance.”
‘Carra’ has a point, too. Aside from Jordon Ibe, the Reds lack players with a desire to get wide and stretch opponents. And with the youngster raw to say the least, he’s unlikely to get into Klopp’s XI with any form of regularity, so more narrow showings are set to be on the agenda until at least January, at which time the 48-year-old will be able to look further afield for options.
With that in mind, here are FIVE wing options for Liverpool…
Denis Cheryshev
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A summer target, and according to reports a January option, the Russia international would add pace and a direct edge to the Liverpool attack. Cheryshev, shone on loan at Villarreal last term, but since his return to Real Madrid his game time has been, understandably given the competition at the Bernabeu, limited – he’s made two appearances in La Liga as a substitute, playing 33 minutes all told.
With a dangerous left-foot and genuine speed across the turf, the 24-year-old presents the sort of option Klopp currently lacks, and with EURO 2016 on the horizon, he’s sure to be eager for game time to make it into Russia’s plans.
Felipe Anderson
https://vine.co/v/ePELuwXJQ2Y/embed/simplePerhaps a somewhat ambitious target, the Brazilian was linked with a mega money move to Manchester United over the summer after firing Lazio into the Champions League. However, the Italians slipped out of the competition during the qualification phase and with Italian football no longer the force it was in terms of quality and financial muscle, it may not be long until the Brazilian moves on. The 22-year-old is comfortable on both flanks, and has even been used as a striker, with his pace and technique on the ball both dangerous. Although luring him to Anfield may be a difficult task, the presence of compatriots such as Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Lucas Leiva may help the Reds.
Karim Bellarabi
https://vine.co/v/eBYIW702zmT/embed/simpleKlopp knows all about the Bundesliga, so he’s sure to be aware of Bellarabi’s talents. There are very few genuine wingers in the Germany set-up, but the Bayer Leverkusen ace is just that, with his desire to get chalk on his boots and deliver from the byline impressive and effective.
The 25-year-old notched 12 goals and six assists in BuLi action last season wich illustrates the threat he brings, while his high-intensity game appears tailor-made for Klopp’s ‘gegenpressing’ approach.
Riyad Mahrez
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Just behind the creative juggernauts of Mesut Ozil (7) and David Silva (6) sits Leicester’s Mahrez with a staggering five assists already this season. The Algerian winger has been, arguably, the surprise of the campaign so far, with his dynamic showings for the Foxes key in their staggering fifth place berth after 10 games. Although the King Power outfit are unlikely to be willing to sell, his own agent has said “if in January there’s a possibility we’ll see”, opening the door for a move. At 24, Mahrez himself may be ager to make a big move, and although the current Premier League table puts Leicester above Liverpool, a switch to Anfield is undoubtedly a step up.
Gokhan Tore
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The Turkey international played a starring role as Besiktas knocked Liverpool out of the Europa League last season, building on the reputation he’s forged since leaving Chelsea as a rather untried youngster. An unproductive spell in Russia with Rubin Kazan followed, but since heading back to his homeland Tore has shone, with his pace and direct style having earned him much praise.
Although his end product is somewhat questionable – he got four goals and five assists in the Super Lig last season – he would offer Klopp the sort of pace and presence from out wide that Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Adam Lallana simply do not present.