Liverpool have been actively looking for additions to their back line for the summer transfer window and the latest name now doing the rounds is Fenerbahce man Simon Kjaer. Turkish-Football claims that Liverpool had scouts watching over him during the recent international break but will face tough competition from the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea who are also interested in his signature. But who is Kjaer? What will he bring to Liverpool?
Born and brought up in Horsens, Denmark, Kjaer came to light in his time at Palermo and Wolfsburg but his best performances came during his time in France with Lille. But the League 1 outfit had to let him go after just two seasons as Turkish outfit Fenerbahce managed to sign him up on a long-term deal.
An experienced international, who has more than 50 appearances for the Denmark national side, Kjaer is a central defender by trait. He has three goals in his 33 appearances in all competitions this season but that is just a bonus for his efforts at the other end of the field. The 28-year old is a hard tackling defender who is not afraid to leave his mark on his opponent and is also adept at holding up play when needed.
He is a proper centre-back, strong in the air, and is a player who is tailor-made for the English Premier League. He loves to play long to try and find his teammates in space in dangerous areas and is a player who is not easy to get past.
He is a decent passer but is aware of when to thump the ball forward, and is a defender who is more interested in keeping his goal safe than in fancy build up play. And this is what can help Liverpool next season. Joel Matip has shown that he is capable of playing from the back to set up the attacks from the deep but Liverpool need a no-nonsense defender who can bail them out of tough situations and Kjaer could be the right man for them this summer.
Dejan Lovren has been decent but Liverpool have been linked with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Jose Gimenez recently. Both players are upgrades over Kjaer but the Fenerbahce man is the easiest for them to land. At 28, Kjaer is at his peak as a footballer and if Liverpool miss out on their other two defensive transfer targets, the Danish international is not at all a bad option. But do you think he is the man Liverpool need this summer?
