Although Liverpool are only behind Chelsea in the League table, goalkeeping issues cannot be kept under the wraps it seems. Despite bringing in Karius from Bundesliga last summer, the Reds haven’t been able to remove the problematic area and it seems that the Reds will have to bring it some safe hands if they are to continue their title challenge.
Jürgen Klopp has been eyeing some goalkeepers coming January and Standard Liege goalkeeper Guillaume Hubert has been one of the top targets for him. The 22-year-old’s current contract expires in the summer and to Liverpool’s delight, Hubert hasn’t indicated anything towards a contract extension with his current club.
Liverpool, however, can’t be rest assured about his situation as Belgium new agencies reports fierce rivals Arsenal too have joined the race in get his signature. The Gunners already have three settled goalies in Petr Cech, David Ospina and Emiliano Martinez, who are categorised according to their tournaments. But, with Cech ageing, Arsenal are looking to bring in players who could succeed the old Premier League veteran few years down the line.
However, the two big clubs are not the only suitors for Hubert. Premier League defending champions Leicester City also checked on him last summer but didn’t show any interest. With their first choice goalie Schmeichel just returning from injury and Zieler yet to get settle nicely into the first team, they can gear up their attempt to bring him this winter.
Hubert is known for his perfect ball distribution. With a passing accuracy of 49.5%, Hubert could be an influential addition for the Reds who look to outpace opponents on the counter. Having players like Coutinho, Firmino and Mane up front, a perfectly floated ball from the back could turn defence into attack in a flash.
The most important attribute of Hubert will be his brilliant reflexes. Karius has been heavily criticised for his poor reactions and instincts, which has cost Liverpool to drop points from winning positions against Bournemouth and West Ham United lately. He has even been dropped to the bench as Klopp has pinned his hopes on Mignolet. Although the Belgian has looked untroubled in recent games, he too is known to make bad decisions in set-pieces and his distributions has come under the radar more than once.
Hubert could be a real upgrade between the sticks at Anfield and although Standard Liege aren’t ready to give up on their star goalie and still hope to bind him to a new contract, Liverpool will have to make an immediate move if they are to beat other clubs and improve their chances of a league title this season.
