Liverpool supporters have been annoyed by Manchester Metropolis’s sharp effectivity this month. The four-in-a-row champions have acted incisively to deal with obtrusive issues inside Pep Guardiola’s squad whereas latterly tying Erling Haaland right down to a unprecedented new contract, legitimate till 2034.
Virgil van Dijk, Mohamed Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been free to debate pre-contract agreements with suitors abroad because the flip of the brand new 12 months, whereas discontent grows round a supposed dearth of depth throughout the backline.
It is hardly all doom and gloom. Arne Slot’s aspect perch atop the Premier League with a four-point lead over Arsenal, holding a sport in hand at that.
Prime of the Champions League group part and nonetheless in each home cup competitions, the Reds are looking for silverware this season and have a gifted and balanced squad that may obtain the lofty objectives.
Nevertheless, Metropolis’s latest motion serves as a reminder to FSG and Richard Hughes that they should ramp up the gasoline, lest this excellent place flakes away over the enterprise months of the marketing campaign.
Andy Robertson, for one, wants changing.
Why Liverpool want to exchange Andy Robertson
An incredible participant, one among Liverpool’s best since his good £10m signing in 2017, leaving Hull Metropolis, Robertson has loved a profitable profession as one among Europe’s superlative left-backs.
He is nonetheless solely 30, however the Scotland skipper is discernibly regressing when it comes to athleticism, focus and creativity, three staples of his ability set.
His understudy, Kostas Tsimikas, has a wonderful eye for a go however is clearly unfavoured by Slot because the beginning choice, so Liverpool want to deal with this downside going ahead. The Athletic’s James Pearce issued a realistic response on the matter, claiming that signing a brand new left-back is excessive on the to-do listing however unlikely to be resolved this month given that there’s present depth.
Robertson, nonetheless, has constantly discovered himself on the scene of the crime this time period and lacks the technicality and confidence that when established him as a world-beater.
Liverpool do have a successor in thoughts and should push to finish a deal this month.
Liverpool’s left-back search
As reported by Italian outlet Solo Lecce earlier this week, Liverpool have entered the race for Lecce full-back Patrick Dorgu, becoming a member of Premier League rivals Chelsea and Tottenham Hotspur.
It is understood that Liverpool’s admiration has grown with rapidity and that FSG chiefs have already ready a €40m (£34m) provide for the Denmark worldwide.
Dorgu, solely 20, has impressed Liverpool scouts together with his energy and power, additionally exhibiting versatile traits that might see Slot will him right into a form of his selecting going ahead.
What Patrick Dorgu would carry to Liverpool
Dorgu is one among Italian soccer’s brightest younger abilities, already chalking up 55 senior appearances for Lecce, scoring 5 objectives, since incomes his stripes in FC Nordsjælland’s academy in his homeland.
At the moment plying his craft in Italy, Dorgu may show to be Slot’s personal Salah signing, with the Egypt sensation becoming a member of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool from Roma for a £34m payment in 2017, the identical window as Robertson, and occurring to attain 232 objectives and arrange 105 extra throughout 378 appearances, profitable the complete gamut of trophies (Europa League however).
Dorgu has proven flashes of high quality however may realise his full potential with Slot’s Liverpool venture starting to hit full swing, much like Klopp’s aspect approach again when, with Salah serving because the attacking catalyst and nonetheless carrying that burden to at the present time.
The rising star, in any case, has already been hailed as an “elite group participant” with “immense physicality” by one analyst, so there’s each cause for Liverpool followers to get excited, for he may change into one of many best defenders competing on English shores.
Patrick Dorgu – Lecce Stats by Place (24/25) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Place | Apps | Objectives | Assists |
Proper winger | 10 | 3 | 0 |
Left-back | 5 | 0 | 1 |
Left winger | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Proper-back | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Stats by way of Transfermarkt | |||
As you’ll be able to see above, Dorgu is without doubt one of the most positionally versatile gamers in Serie A, and whereas he is discovered comparative prolific success on the proper wing, Lecce supervisor Marco Giampaolo, who was appointed in November, has moved him again right into a extra standard left-back function.
That is optimistic, proving that Slot, one among Europe’s superior tactical minds, may sculpt Dorgu to his personal design, although it is possible that the younger gun will proceed to supply assist throughout a variety of roles, skirting away from being pigeonholed into one tightly-held class.
Anyway, as per FBref, Dorgu ranks among the many prime 9% of Serie A wingers this season for tackles, the highest 7% for interceptions, the highest 5% for clearances and the highest 9% for aerial battles received per 90, illustrating the sturdy defensive software that stays with him even when fielded in offensive conditions.
There’s hope that an settlement will probably be struck and Liverpool will lengthen Salah’s keep on Merseyside. If that is to be the case, Slot is just not going to wish a first-class substitute simply but.
However in Dorgu, he may land his personal Salah signing, killing two birds with one stone. The vigorous Dane might show to be the proper Robertson substitute going ahead, however his confirmed success as a moonlighting proper winger has made a convincing comment on the dynamism that’s virtually custom-made for Slot’s fluid system.
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