Ronald Koeman and Jürgen Klopp wasted very little time to assemble their respective sides to ensure that they impose themselves as serious contenders for finishing inside the top four of the league table at the end of the season. To bolster their squad, apparently they have been dipping into the transfer market with Soualiho Meïté being reported as a prospective candidate being pursued by both the rival clubs from Merseyside.
We have briefly summed up a SWOT Analysis of Meïté who has been attracting a lot of eyes from a handful of major clubs across Europe.
Strength
It’s no mystery that the French league has been producing innumerable talented youngsters who, conventionally, are physically resolute and tactically sound and Meïté is the latest fish to get caught by the scouts as a prospective candidate to potentially ply his trade at the top clubs in English football. 6’2” tall, he has a commanding presence at the centre of the park, covers a lot of the ground and sculptures precise passes which makes him a wanting commodity.
Currently on loan to Zulte Waregem in the Belgian Pro League, the central midfielder has accumulated plenty of experience in the semi-elite level (not being harsh but being practical, keeping Premier League as our yardstick) as well as 30 appearances for his parent side, Lille. The transfer fee will be in the vicinity of £6 million, which is pretty much moderate considering the inflation in the transfer market.
Weakness
Make no mistake, he is still in a developing phase and has some loopholes as well. Despite 75 appearances in the senior sides of Auxerre, Lille and Zulte Waregem, the midfielder has managed to bag just one goal which definitely implies that he needs to brush himself offensively.
He lacks the leadership qualities that are so necessary for a central midfielder, isn’t aggressive, has work to do in terms of dribbling and accelerating which is why it is obvious that some key points will have to addressed by him very soon.
Opportunity
Meïté will land himself a pedestal for an upward trajectory in his career if he keeps delivering galvanising performances to make a switch to Liverpool or Everton. The two tactically impeccable managers have given us an anecdote of the positivism they can cultivate with a decent start to the league campaign and the 22-year-old will be readily accepted by the tactical nous of the either party.
Compared to the likes of Blaise Matuidi and Yann M’Vila, despite being a roughly polished asset, the Frenchman is indeed very assuring defensively, which has made him appealing to Klopp and Koeman. He is athletic, agile and has appeared at all but the Under-21s national team at the youth level, featuring alongside the likes of Kurt Zouma and Aymeric Laporte.
Threat
The demanding nature of the Premier League is one of the cruellest things known to the human race. In a scenario of the same, youngsters, many a times, have failed to convert their promises into performances. Even the likes of Paul Pogba have been finding it a tough nut to crack as the very prospect of plying their trade in the Premier League sends shivers down their spine.
Can Meïté beg to differ if a move eventually takes place?
