According to reports, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are preparing a sensational swoop for in-form Celtic forward Moussa Dembele in January.
Liverpool started off the season with a bang winning 4-3 against Arsenal on the opening day and it gave us an idea on how the season was going to progress for them. Lots and lots of attacking intent and quite porous at the back. This has been Liverpool’s season in a nutshell. The sort of players they have, namely Coutinho, Firmino, Mane and Lallana are perfectly suited and capable of the free flowing and expressive football which Jurgen Klopp wants and allows for.
While there have been a few bumps along the way, they have been too minuscule to have derailed their impressive and determined start to the season. The Reds are in the 2nd spot and will look to stay ahead of the chasing pack and narrow the gap on Chelsea whenever the opportunity presents itself.
But their swashbuckling attacking start should not deflect the attention from the fact that they do have some issues when it comes to their strike options. Daniel Sturridge might be talented and is still capable of producing moments of brilliance every now and then but the jury is still out on whether he can be trusted as the main option throughout the season. His injury record is well-documented and there are questions marks over his work-rate and his ability to last the distance, especially in a gegenpressing set-up such as Klopp’s’.
Origi has stepped up in his absence and with Coutinho also out with injury, Firmino’s false 9 position also got vacated as the Brazilian had to move left to cover for his injured compatriot. But Origi is still raw and a team chasing the title cannot be expected to thrust such a big responsibility on a 21-year old’s shoulders.
To further add fuel to the transfer rumours regarding Dembele is the fact that Sadio Mane will be off to the AFCON in January and that will seriously result in a dearth of attacking ammunition.
Moussa Dembele offers an exciting option and after his excellent start to the season for Celtic, will be brimming with confidence and the will to perform. He certainly is capable of producing the goods at a higher level and Celtic’s game against Manchester City was proof enough that the lad is not lacking in ability or confidence.
He has all the attributes one hopes for in a striker but his best trait is his terrific finishing ability. His movement in the box is full of guile and his speed and change of direction have left many a defender flat-footed. He stands at 6’feet tall and is physical and extremely good in the air. He is full of energy and will fit in well under the stewardship of Klopp. His modest earnings will also get a significant raise and considering the fact that Liverpool do go in for the striker, there aren’t too many reasons why the transfer won’t be taking place.
