I would suggest we should be thinking about adding at least one player this winter especially given the potential significance of this season. Robertson and AA are going to be run into the ground - I would really like to see a FB that could cover both come in. I like Milner and all, but I don't think it's a feasible solution. There is even a thought about bringing in another attacker to help rotate with Origi in the front 3. It would really have to be a quality player - and one we want for the long term for that to happen in my opinion.
agree 100%. right now the backups are Millie and Gomez. Clyne looks like he won't be seen again, which is a shame. that said I don't know who we'd go for .... but I rarely do. we have Brewster in line behind Origi. don't think we'll bump him further down the list.
Our stock should be pretty high at this point, so we can get most available players for the right price.
There is lots of talk of Jadon Sancho being our next big target. He wants out of Dortmund, and Dortmund are ready to sell him, maybe as early as January.
We have also been linked to Ryan Fraser from Bournemouth. I believe he is out of contract this summer. He could be solid cover for Mane on the left wing. However, I think we may have an eye on him as cover for our fullbacks. The positions he takes up in Bournemouth’s 4-4-2 are probably very similar to the positions that our fullbacks occupy in Klopp’s system. He also has very impressive assist numbers. I think that is the best way to find cover for our fullbacks is to look for midfielders who can be converted to fullbacks.
He's got speed and a good work rate. If it was a sensible deal - 20m or under I'd take him. If B'mouth try to grab 30m+ = no thanks.
He's been awful this season. Him and Callum Wilson have not matched previous seasons levels and are a big reason Bournemouth are struggling to win games. In the summer I would have said yes, but now he looks a liability given the wage he is asking for and genuine question marks whether he can be as productive in any system that is not 4-4-2. Spending 20 million on him makes no sense given we'd be better off cancelling Harry's loan and acquire a player who is not only better suited to our team but useful off the bench( 3 goals against Man City and Spurs this season coming off the bench) than Fraser who may have peaked. He's out of contract because Bournemouth don't think he is worth what he is demanding. This is not an Erikson case where the player wants to move on for ambition, it is a player who has had one excellent season and is trying to cash in and get a contract similar to the one they gave Callum. He is more of an old-fashioned winger, more than a modern day full back. He is very protected by (the excellent) Rico and Daniels in previous seasons on the flank. Him playing as a full back would be nowhere near as effective. Consider the fact that he averages 25-30 passes a game for Bournemouth. TAA and Robertson average in the mid 60's for Liverpool. Now that is not entirely on Fraser, it is a feature of Bournemouth and Eddie Howe's rigid 4-4-2 tactics, but it seems a gamble to suggest that he would fit into our full back system that is high energy and constantly in the game. His tackling and interception stats are also nothing special. Even Harry Wilson averages more than double the amount of tackles a game that he does. He also does not get as many assists as people think. Last season it was an awesome 14 assists in the league from 35 starts, in his 52 other league starts it has been 11. Last season may be the aberration, not the norm for him. Last season 5 of his 14 assists were directly from corners. I suspect he would not be taking corners for Liverpool, which limits one of the reasons he is valuable. From a money ball perspective, we'd be paying for a skill we'd not be using. His wage makes sense to smaller clubs who would be utilizing his corner and free kick taking, it would be a waste of money for us. I think there are better players to pick from than a Scottish winger who has played almost all of his career in a 4-4-2 and may well have fitness/stamina issues preventing him from playing in that role. It is also kind of pointless buying him in the winter as even if we could convert him, it would take a preseason to do so. There simply would not be the game time to adapt him in a title challenging season mid way through. I do agree that cover for the LB slot should be the main priority this window, but I disagree that Fraser is that player. He's out of form and potentially ill-suited to that role and would be asking for near parity with Robertson when it came to wages. My outside the box suggestion is John Lundstrom. Excellent long balls and passing in general, has the engine and used to following direct orders and happens to be a scouser. He's a player who started his career as an AM in the mould of Stevie G, dropped deep to play DM and is now used in Wilder's revolutionary overlapping tactics which see every player constantly switch position, from wide to centre depending on the overlap.
certainly won't happen in the January window but Millie's making noises again about going back to Leeds https://www.leeds-live.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/james-milner-leeds-united-liverpool-17374666
Brazil striker Gabriel Barbosa, 23, who has scored 43 goals in 56 games on loan at Flamengo from Inter Milan, has said he would like to play for Liverpool.
Hopefully Lovren's injury yesterday turns out to be minor ... but in any event, with Matip and Fab both out for extended periods, we are looking damn thin at CB. maybe we should bring in an experienced guy who can fill in for a while?
Fair enough. You clearly watch way more Bournemouth than I do. I was just trying to make sense out why we would be linked to him. I think it makes more sense as a fullback than as an option in midfield or attack.
That’s not Klopp’s style to sign someone as a temporary fix. Although he did sign Steven Caulker, and then used him mostly at centerforward.
Joyce and Pearce reporting that were in to sign Minamino from RBS in January with his release clause extremely attractive at 8 mil. Thoughts?
All I can think of is that poor kid is going to be called 'Mini-me' from the moment he sets foot in an EPL pitch.
He was outstanding in both games against us and seems like a Klopp type player. He apparently covered more ground than any Liverpool player on Tuesday. He is older than you would expect. About to turn 25 in January. At that price it seems like a no brainer. The role he plays at Salzburg at the tip of their diamond is not all that different than the areas Firmino plays in at Liverpool. Maybe Klopp thinks he can use him as a backup for Firmino.