After missing out on Jude Bellingham, Liverpool is apparently looking for a player who is comparable to Xabi Alonso as a potential Jude Bellingham replacement.
Liverpool had a tendency to overlook Jude Bellingham. The Reds have made significant financial investments in the past, but there is a level that is simply outside the grasp of the team’s resources. After Bellingham’s season, Liverpool could not stretch itself any farther.
It’s not all bad news, either. Jürgen Klopp will keep searching for a midfielder for Liverpool as he attempts to expand his options and add much-needed depth to a division that is in need of new weapons.
In addition to having an elderly midfield, Liverpool will be losing James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keta this summer, leaving Klopp with at best limited choices.
It is obvious that investment is required, and potentially even two or three players. Liverpool will need to manage the club’s finances skillfully in order to accomplish it, but with the correct goals, it is undoubtedly feasible.
The most recent player who has apparently caught the club’s attention falls squarely into this category.
According to Corriere dello Sport in Italy, Liverpool is considering hiring Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners for a sum of about $43m (£35m/€40m).
Liverpool’s interest in Koopmeiners, a Dutch international, may have some merit. Cody Gakpo was acquired during the January transfer window in large part because to Klopp’s Dutch assistant Pep Lijnders, who is renowned for keeping a close eye on players from his native country.
Therefore, it is safe to assume that Lijnders is well aware of Koopmeiners, who was the captain of AZ Alkmaar and a dominant force in the Eredivisie before transferring to Serie A, where he has once again been excellent.
In 30 Serie A games this season, he has seven goals and three assists, demonstrating that he is a player who can contribute in the final third. But most importantly, he is a versatile tactician for Liverpool.
Koopmeiners thrives with his skill on the ball and is probably best in a holding midfield position, but he can also play in more advanced areas, just like Georginio Wijnaldum was able to.
Koopmeiners has a special ability to strike the ball in addition to having superb technique. The midfielder’s ability to distribute long balls across the field and split defenses is equally amazing. He can not just hit the target from great distances. He is in the 93rd percentile among his positional contemporaries in Europe’s top five leagues thanks to his staggering average of 11.08 long passes per 90, or 11.08 per 90 total passes.
Koopmeiners has aspects of Xabi Alonso’s technique and poise on the ball, and if he were to join Liverpool, the Reds wouldn’t likely have had a player of that caliber since the then-Bayer Leverkusen boss.
Of course, the long ball is another essential component of Klopp’s approach. Koopmeiners would be at home at Anfield since players like Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk are routinely encouraged to make these types of deep, penetrating passes to switch plays.
In general, Koopmeiners would be a wise acquisition for Liverpool if they can secure him for his rumored asking price. Not only because he is the kind of undiscovered treasure Liverpool needs, but also because, depending on the club’s budget, it would enable the Reds to potentially sign one or even two additional midfielders, which is an enticing proposition given Koopmeiners’ caliber.