Liverpool ‘Following’ £38m-Rated Villarreal Winger: Can He Fill Sadio Mane’s Shoes?

Recent reports from the Liverpool Echo state that Liverpool are following Villarreal winger Arnaut Danjuma with hopes of signing him in the summer transfer window as Jurgen Klopp looks set to add to his options in attack ahead of the 2022/23 season.

Renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano claimed the same on the Here We Go podcast.

“Danjuma, this boy from Villarreal, he played number nine this season,” he said.

“He did really great with Villarreal, he has a release clause in his contract it’s around €45m (£38m), maybe a bit more, and so could be an opportunity in the market.

“Liverpool have been following him since January, let’s see if they will jump into it.”

The Dutchman’s current contract at the Estadio de la Ceramica expires in 2026, so it’s obvious that Villarreal won’t give up on him without putting up a tough fight. However, with Manchester United rather keen on recruiting Darwin Nunez from Benfica, Liverpool have a significantly high chance of securing the player’s signature.

Danjuma’s 2021/22 Season In Numbers

Having come through the ranks at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, Arnaut Danjuma signed for La Liga side Villarreal CF from AFC Bournemouth in the summer of 2021 for a fee in the region of €23.5 million. It would be an understatement to say that the 25-year-old winger hit the ground running in Spain as he bagged sixteen goals and provided four assists in 34 appearances the past season – often performing brilliantly at the highest level.

Besides, he managed to put up some awe-inspiring numbers on the board the last term – averaging 2.7 shots, 0.5 key passes and 1.5 dribbles per 90 minutes in the Spanish top-flight (calculated over 23 appearances). Furthermore, with an average WhoScored rating of 6.96, the Netherlands international was one of his side’s most consistent attackers the past season.

While Danjuma is mainly a left-winger, he can fulfil the number 9 role and the role of a right-winger.

Can He Fill Sadio Mane’s Shoes?

With Sadio Mane expected to secure a transfer to Bayern Munich in the not-so-distant future, there’s no doubt that Jurgen Klopp will have to bring in quality reinforcements in the winger’s department if they intend on strengthening the present squad – and Arnaut Danjuma fits the bill perfectly. The Lagos-born attacker had a good season in Spain, and one would only expect him to find more success in Jurgen Klopp’s system that prioritises wingers as the main goal-scorers. Besides, with the uncertainty surrounding Mohamed Salah’s future at Anfield, the signing seems even more sensible.

Aged 25, he is the ideal option for the Reds as he is clinical, aggressive, and highly effective down the wings.

(Stats from WhoScored)