Jadon Sancho has been the subject of interest of many top clubs in Europe at the moment. The Borussia Dortmund star is having the best season of his playing career, and so far it seems plausible that he would leave the German side in search of greener pastures this summer.
Liverpool cannot be immune to the prospect of the English midfielder, and club captain Jordan Henderson has admitted that only the sky is the limit for the player. On Rio Ferdinand’s youtube channel (as stated by Goal), the English midfielder has said, “A lot of people are speaking about him. He is a top player, a special player, that in training he has got something different and he’s sharp and able to get past players with ease. Also, he’s got a good head on his shoulders, he loves football, wants to improve, listen and learn so if he just continues on that path the sky’s the limit for him really.”
Liverpool have previously been linked with Sancho, and the recent statements of Henderson make us think whether we would see both these Englishmen playing for the Anfield side soon.
Sancho’s prospect at Liverpool
The talk of the town is that the front three of Liverpool is indispensable and the manager has no other option but to field the same combination week in week out. However, the surprise element that these players used to have on the opposition teams have diminished, and as the rule of law, pretty soon the other clubs would figure out a way to defend against the three prolific forwards. We have seen the same against Watford and Atletico very recently and going into the new season; the German manager can expect the impact of his system to diminish somewhat.
This is where Liverpool need a new angle to their attacking force, and Sancho would be one of the best options for the club. Many pundits believe that the Kops gave up on Werner because eventually, the management decided that the club need not spend so much on a forward at this stage while their current squad is intact.
What they do not appreciate is the fact that all the top teams of the world have always maintained a squad which have had world-class players sitting on the bench, ready to be called into action. This not only increases the depth of the team but also gives the manager options when one of the stars is going through a rough patch. Werner, in that sense, was essential to Liverpool and now that the club has decided not to proceed with the transfer, a replacement is necessary.
Sancho’s immediate role at the club
The England star has been doing a marvellous job for his side this season. The greatest virtue of the player is his versatility as he can ply his trade at several positions. Dortmund have mostly deployed him on the right side of the forward line this term, although he is equally adept at the left side. Sancho can take up any role in the forward three and thus Liverpool would be blessed to replace anyone among their front trio with the former Man City ace.
For the Bundesliga side, he has scored 20 goals this season across all competitions and assisted his teammates another 18 times. Playing as a forward, Sancho has completed more than 85% of his total passes for his side, a remarkable feat for even the best of footballers. He can also be bestowed with the creative role at the centre of the pitch, and therefore it is not a fact that for Sancho to be playing eleven, one among the Liverpool forwards would have to sit on the bench.
However, all these probabilities would only take shape if the Merseyside club goes all out for bringing in the youngster from Germany, the chance of which looks very bleak right now.
Stats from Whoscored.
