Liverpool have slumped into a familiar pattern of a strong start fading into oblivion and even the hyperactive and slightly boisterous energy and intensity of Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been able to stem the flow of their extremely poor run, of late. They started off in a blistering manner and in no time, were banging in the goals and the popular consensus was that Liverpool will be the force to reckon with, this season.
Jurgen Klopp in his first full year. With a summer transfer window and a number of additions behind him, it was expected the former Borussia Dortmund manager will be casting his spell on the league. With no Champions League to act as a distraction, and a whole week to train his players almost every week, it was touted as Klopp’s year. And for a few months, it looked to be the case. Although Chelsea stormed past most of the teams, Liverpool’s form saw them emerge as the sole challenger to Chelsea’s dominance at the top of the table.
But the turn of the year has literally turned things around. In this calendar year, Klopp has managed a solitary 1-0 win over Plymouth in 7 competitive matches he has played in. And for a team, which was touted as title challengers a few weeks back, this is bad news. They have looked disjointed in attack and Mane’s absence has hurt them bad. Sturridge is fast becoming a burden and offers nothing to the team. And their woes at the back are well documented.
But it is also partly due to the underperformance of Emre Can in recent weeks. The German hasn’t been at his best and by the looks of it, his time at Anfield might come to an abrupt end.
And according to reports, Jurgen Klopp has targeted Sporting Lisbon powerhouse midfielder, William Carvalho as a replacement and a long-term partner of Jordan Henderson in midfield.
William Carvalho came through the Sporting youth ranks and made his senior debut in 2011. The Sporting Lisbon midfielder has been brilliant for both club and country and is high on Liverpool’s wish list. His playing style is quite similar to that of Yaya Toure of Manchester City and he has a strong and powerful presence in midfield, capable of making the typical lung-bursting runs from the deep areas.
Carvalho is the ideal man to provide stability and also possesses the ability to break up play. He is strongly built and is a good passer of the ball, a quality which is appreciated by the Liverpool boss. At just 24, he has a lot of football left in him and joining Liverpool will be a step forward in his career.
His asking price has been quoted at £26m, a figure Liverpool are apparently open to shelling out.
