In a recent report, ESPN has claimed that Liverpool are eyeing a loan move for New York Red Bulls defender Aaron Long before the January transfer window slams shut on Monday night. It is believed that the Reds have set their sights on the United States defender as Jurgen Klopp’s defence has been plagued with injuries this season (via ESPN).
Long’s Impressive Career Back In His Homeland
Long has enjoyed a long and illustrious career in the Major League Soccer where he has established himself as one of the best centre-backs in the division. The 28-year-old has participated in 102 matches in the MLS, registering eight goals and one assist in the process thus far.
In 2019, the Oak-Hills born talent made 25 appearances for New York Red Bulls and did well to average 1.1 tackles, 1.3 interceptions and 5.3 clearances per 90 minutes in the league. However, he was quite untidy when distributing the ball out from the back as evident from his pass completion rate of 63.7% in top-flight football (stats via whoscored).
Long has not played competitive football regularly for a long time, so he would need time to get back to his best. However, even at his best, he might struggle to cope with the physicality and high intensity of Premier League football if Liverpool manage to get him on loan in the coming days.
What Will The American Defender Bring To The Table?
Standing at 1.86m, Long can be a dominant presence inside the penalty box as he usually uses his strong frame to overpower the opposition and win some important headers for his side. He has a great leap in him and works his socks off to cover a lot of ground at the back.
The Unites States sensation is also a decent tackler and can make a few crucial interceptions when called into action. However, he is yet to prove his worth outside his homeland, which makes him a risky option for the Reds even if they decide to acquire his services on loan.
Is Long A Good Fit For The Merseyside Club?
Currently, Long is nowhere near the standards that Klopp expects from his usual first-team centre-backs. However, the current injury crisis has increased the Liverpool manager’s need to bring in a late reinforcement to ease his concerns in the remainder of this campaign. With Virgil Van Dijk and Joe Gomez both out with long-term injuries and Joel Matip struggling to make himself available every week, the Merseyside giants have to figure out a way to improve their dire situation on the defensive end of the field.
Signing Long on a short-term loan contract makes sense as he could serve as a decent squad player for Klopp to call upon in the second half of this Premier League season. However, the MLS defensive ace won’t be a good fit for the Reds as he is not accustomed to Premier League or European football.
