The Liverpool “refreshment” of FSG 2022 tends to lead to discussions about the front line. As mentioned many times, Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mané are all 29 years old. A similar dynamic is playing out in midfield – while there are promising youngsters like Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott, such as Thiago and Jordan Henderson are the wrong side of 30. A move into the transfer market for at least one other young midfielder would be wise .
If you believe the latest reports from Spain, the FSG thinks similarly. Why Fichajes should be privy to this information is unclear, but the publication claims that Liverpool have already signed a January transfer deal for Brighton’s midfielder Yves Bissouma. The 25-year-old has impressed since joining the Premier League in 2018 and is undoubtedly one of the key central options outside of the top 6.
Bissouma himself recently made the bold claim that he was the very best midfielder in the league – that may go a little far, although Jürgen Klopp will no doubt admire the confidence. The key question is whether the Malian is good enough to add anything to Liverpool midfield and the answer is certainly yes.
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The report claims that the FSG sanctioned a £ 40m transfer for Bissouma, which would be fair value for a player with a Premier League bonus. Significantly, the Brighton man is more defensive than many of the existing options. None of Jones, Elliott or Naby Keïta are in the same shape as Georginio Wijnaldum, who of course moved to PSG in the summer. Bissouma is also a very different player from the Dutchman, but he has more defensive discipline than any other option available to Klopp.
This does not mean that he would be traveling from Amex to play the role of number six. Fabinho locked that up. The Carabao Cup, however, showed the total lack of natural cover in this position: Tyler Morton impressed, but Bissouma’s experience as a defensive midfielder would add a rotation option for the seniors. His mix of skills would allow him to regularly adopt a modified version of Wijnaldum’s number eight that provides sturdy protection for defense while also helping to build up.
Bissouma’s dribbling stats, in particular, are ideal for this type of role. His 1.55 dribbles per 90 (FBRef) places him in the top 12% of midfielders in the five best leagues on the continent – this is very remarkable for a defensive player. It indicates the ability to provide a reliable defensive shield and at the same time to drive the team in possession of the ball forward: in short, the exact function of a Klopp midfield.
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Keïta arguably already offers a lot of it, but his latest injury – sustained against Norwich City – was a brutal reminder of the reliability problems that plagued his Liverpool career. You just can’t expect a full season from him, and with his contract expiring, it could soon come to a point where the FSG will be taken in hand. Even if he stays at Anfield, his defensive numbers don’t match those of Bissouma, whose tackles and interceptions per 90 put him in the top 20% of midfielders in Europe (Keïta is below average on both stats).
The age of Bissouma will also please the FSG. The midfielder only turned 25 last month so he’s probably still at his peak. It’s an ideal mix of maturity and time to grow, perfect for maintaining high standards while the roster goes through a transition period. Together with Fabinho, he could help build bridges for the younger generation of Elliott and Jones and pave the way for their promotion to regular first-team status.
Whether Liverpool actually changes for Bissouma remains to be seen: it is certainly not over yet. The FSG could do far worse than making a transfer change for the Premier League star, however – he has the potential to balance Klopp’s midfield, both in terms of ability and age profile.
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