Liverpool’s latest recruit, Georginio Wijnaldum, is an odd signing for a club that are currently known for their defensive frailties. Though the new signings Joel Matip and Loris Karius will to an extent strengthen the back-line, they still have some work to do to before going into the next season as a stronger outfit. However, the new link surrounding the club for a German youngster seems to suggest otherwise. In what is another odd but strong rumor, Schalke’s 20-year old sensation, Max Meyer is linked with a £28million move to Anfield this summer.
On the face of it, this story is similar to wearing a shawl in the monsoon. It hardly makes any sense. Yet when you look deep into it, it is typical of Liverpool’s new manager. The German who is currently in charge at Anfield is known to nurture young talent with potential as he has done in his 7 years in Dortmund. The 20-year old Meyer is arguably the most exciting young talent on display in Germany at the moment and it is natural for Klopp to try and snatch him up when he is available.
However, the real problem is why Klopp would need to add a midfielder to his lineup when he is still weak at the back. There is no doubt that Liverpool’s backline is a bit stronger than it was under Brendan Rodgers but it has a long way to go before they can actually win the team some matches. A club’s defense wins it loads of trophies and there is no denying that Liverpool’s back-line cost them a few recently. So why is Klopp not looking at additions in a defensive midfield area? Why is Moreno, a player who surely cost the club many points in the league last season still the first choice left back?
The answer is actually very simple. Liverpool have spent around £65m on Sadio Mane, Loris Karius and Georginio Wijnaldum and have acquired the services of Joel Matip and Marko Grujic with hardly any transfer costs. They have so far sold Jordan Ibe for £15m, Sergi Canos, Jerome Sinclair and Martin Skrtel for fees that are not disclosed yet. The next few weeks might see the likes of Christian Benteke, Lazar Markovic (having not impressed in the warm-up games), Lucas Leiva (linked with a move to Galatasaray) and Joe Allen(linked with a £13m move to Stoke City and Swansea City) all leave the club. These outgoing transfers, if done at a reasonable price (keeping in mind ‘the Deeney effect’), will help the club recover a large part of the transfer fees they have already spent and may be even take the net spent into the negative.
The manager will have to spend big for a quality left back and maybe even a central defensive midfielder before the window closes but FSG the owners of the Anfield outfit will be more than willing to spend if the new manager really wants them to. This is where Meyer’s move makes a lot of sense. Liverpool in the past have missed out on some quality transfer targets because of players preferring to move to another club. Meyer is one such starlet who is currently attracting interests but Liverpool seem to have taken the first step to sign him and if the manager thinks he is worth his price tag, they should not hesitate to strike a deal. Who knows, the German maestro may just help Meyer achieve heights he has not even promised yet.
After all, the transfer committee there paid close to £50m on Mario Balotelli and Christian Benteke, two players who hardly had a chance to shine at the club. The least they can do is spend half of it on a youngster who will immensely help the squad. Do you think Liverpool’s move for Max Meyer is justified?
