The interminable bid to signal Alexander Isak rumbles on for Liverpool, however sporting director Richard Hughes has loads of work minimize out as he chases a number of offers earlier than the closure of the summer season switch market.
Newcastle United’s star striker has already been the main focus of a rejected bid, totalling an preliminary £110m, and the Reds are anticipated to return, for the 25-year-old has suffered a catastrophic failure in relations with these at St. James’ Park.
Nonetheless, Liverpool are additionally in determined want of signing a centre-half within the coming weeks, with Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate missing cowl on the rear.
Liverpool targeted on signing defender
Following Palace’s victory at Wembley, their chairman, Steve Parish, admitted that they could should money in on Marc Guehi this summer season, the centre-back having entered the ultimate yr of his contract and been on Liverpool’s radar for months.
Nonetheless, Liverpool are additionally monitoring 18-year-old Parma defender Giovanni Leoni, with offers on the playing cards for each defenders.
It could be tough to drag Leoni away from his Italian homeland at this fledgling stage of his profession, and that is why sporting director Richard Hughes has recognized an alternate choice to strengthen the backline.
In accordance with switch insider Graeme Bailey, Liverpool are rivalling Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Aston Villa for Membership Brugge’s Joel Ordonez, having been in common contact with intermediaries.
Marseille are additionally within the combine and hope to shut a deal this month, so Liverpool might want to get the deal carried out rapidly.
What Joel Ordonez would deliver to Liverpool
Ordonez, 21, may be within the early stage of his profession, however he is already made 84 appearances for his Belgian aspect after making the primary leap away from his Ecuadorian homeland.
Now prepared for an enormous transfer to a top-five league, Liverpool may hit gold in bringing him over, intrigued by his mix of aggressiveness and proactive passing.
Taking a look at how Ordonez and Leoni rank up statistically over the previous yr, there is a case to be made that the Membership Brugge man is the superior participant at this cut-off date, with a roundedness about him that implies he may even be a becoming different to Guehi, ought to Liverpool’s pursuit of the Eagles star show fruitless.
Joel Ordonez vs Giovanni Leoni (previous 12 months) | ||
|---|---|---|
Stats (per 90) | Ordonez | Leoni |
Objectives scored | 0.10 | 0.08 |
Assists | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Shot-creating actions | 0.57 | 0.23 |
Touches | 61.63 | 58.10 |
Move completion | 91.6% | 87.7% |
Progressive passes | 2.75 | 1.58 |
Progressive carries | 0.73 | 0.00 |
Profitable take-ons | 0.26 | 0.23 |
Tackles + interceptions | 1.97 | 1.18 |
Clearances | 4.84 | 4.73 |
Aerials received | 1.12 | 1.23 |
Stats by way of FBref | ||
Leoni is a gifted younger participant, however there’s little to recommend that he has what it takes to interrupt free and turn out to be a clean passer past the capability of Ordonez, who has truly been described as having “an impressively full profile for a centre-back of his age”, by scout Jacek Kulig.
The identical, in fact, is true for Leoni, however Ordonez has much more expertise and thus extra substance behind forking out a sizeable determine this summer season.
Ought to both Van Dijk or Konate fall to harm this season, an understudy could be required to step up, and provided that Ordonez has already fought in opposition to Aston Villa over two legs within the Champions League, he has the boldness and receipts to do precisely that: step up.
Although Guehi could be Liverpool’s first-choice choose this summer season, there is not any certainty that Liverpool will handle to persuade Palace to cut back their calls for and safe the England worldwide’s signature.
Ought to they fail to take action, this South American up-and-comer has the bodily attributes and the graceful, forward-tuned ball recreation to make an actual affect in Slot’s squad, actually proving an improve on the younger and untested Leoni.
