According to Portuguese publication O Jogo, a number of English clubs sent scouts to witness the recently concluded clash between Porto and Braga which saw the Dragons come out as victors by 3 goals to 1. The report claims that scouts from Liverpool, Everton, West Ham United and Manchester United were in attendance as Brahimi put in an impressive display from the left wing.
Brahimi was heavily linked to a summer move to Liverpool in 2016 but a move never materialized and the Algerian stayed in Portugal. However, his skillset and performances that season made it obvious as to why he is courted by the aforementioned clubs.
A ferocious dribbler, Brahimi possesses a natural gift with the ball at his feet and is very well known for beating defenders with his trickery, evidenced by the fact that he completed the most dribbles in Spanish top flight in his last season at Granada, beating Lionel Messi to the stat.
Although not the most prolific goalscorer, Brahimi is a very good outlet on the left-hand side and is clinical when given a chance. He’s had another impressive season so far, scoring 5 and assisting another 6 in 20 league games so far. In spite of his short height, he has a very strong frame and blistering pace that makes him a nightmare for the opposition fullback.
Despite his obvious qualities, he’s not the player Klopp should be too keen on to bolster his Liverpool squad as he continues to try and make the Merseyside outfit a bonafide top 4 side. The main reason for this is that the Reds already have an excellent frontline and goals have rarely been a problem. The problem lies in defence and defensive midfield, and that is where the German must look to consolidate.
Furthermore, Liverpool’s current starting XI has players younger than Brahimi, and with the Algerian in his peak, a move to the bench would not be favourable. Moreover, Brahimi isn’t a top quality player who will instantly improve Liverpool. He has had periods of inconsistent form and is yet to play for a European giant in spite of being 27
. There have also been reports of him having a poor attitude, with overconfidence and complacency making noticeable changes to his game. Mamadou Sakho had similar attitude problems and Klopp didn’t hesitate to ship him off so buying a squad player with the same attitude will be something Klopp would and perhaps, should avoid.
