Standing as one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League at the moment, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool have a decent chance to qualify for the UCL the second season running. But there are a few positions that the manager needs to improve on before the Reds can actually challenge for titles. So it does not come as a surprise that Liverpool are linked with some exciting talents, just days after a transfer window is shut.
One player, they are looking to sign is Kerem Demirbay.
According to reports in Germany, the German midfielder has a release clause of just £28m and the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool are both ready to meet the asking price at the end of the season. Also wanted by the likes of Everton, Demirbay has reportedly opened talks with the Reds and the Gunners for a move in the summer.
So what will Demirbay bring to Anfield if Liverpool end up signing him?
Having spent his youth at Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, the 24-year old broke into the first team in Bundesliga for the first time with Hoffenheim after joining them in 2016. Ever since, he has become an integral part of the squad, and has 12 starts this season, where he has two goals and an assist to his name.
He made his international but for Germany, just last year and already has two caps to his name. He has 8 goals and 12 assists in 48 Bundesliga appearances till date and is one of most exciting midfielders in the German top flight at the moment.
A central midfielder, who can play in any of the attacking roles with ease, Demirbay is a technically gifted footballer, who loves to have the ball at his feet. He can dribble past players with ease and is adept at creating chances in the final third. He hardly ever loses possession of the ball in the middle of the park and loves to play short passes, to frustrate the opponents.
His vision and technique allow him to create chances but what makes him an attractive player is his ability to put in tackles and interceptions, in front of the backline. He can drop deep to control the tempo of the play and is also smart with his runs late into the box and is a player who will improve most teams in the English top flight.
In the Premier League, he may struggle with the physical approach to the game but his ability to read the game in front of him will make him a decent option for Klopp.
The Reds are desperate for a midfielder, who can play as a part of the 3-man midfield that Klopp’s loves to use at Anfield. Emre Can is in the final few months of his contract and needs a replacement and Demirbay may not be a bad choice.
He is not adept at playing as the deepest of the midfielders for his side, but he is more than capable of adding creativity and mettle to the midfield, something that has been missing in the team for a while.
The likes of Georginio Wijnaldum, Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all fighting for two places in the midfield and Demirbay will add options to this role. However, the Reds need a genuine CDM, who can sit back and sniff danger early, and the 24-year old is not a solution to this problem.
So he is only an option for Liverpool to replace Emre Can in the midfield but do you think Liverpool should go for Demirbay and still keep searching for a CDM?
