Liverpool: Klopp eyeing Caicedo 2.0 in £35m “one-man army”
The Reds have nearly reconfigured their midfield…
Liverpool could still be in the market for midfielders this summer after completing the surprising signing of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £16m.
The Anfield side lost out to Chelsea for both Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, creating a sense of panic as midfielders Jordan Henderson and Fabinho has previously completed transfers to Saudi Arabian sides.
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Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szobsozlai had been landed earlier in the window, but both are creative individuals and the more industrious, defensive department still needs bolstering.
As such, Liverpool may well be inclined to swoop back in for former target Manu Kone, with fresh reports rising regarding the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder.
What’s the latest on Manu Kone to Liverpool?
According to reliable German outlet Sport Bild, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp has reignited his interest in the tough-tackling ace, with the 22-year-old on the club’s radar as early as January.
Reports from June suggested that Gladbach would be willing to discuss a deal, though they have set a valuation of £35m for the Frenchman, and now it’s up to Liverpool to meet the demands.
How good is Manu Kone?
The seven-cap France U21 international, aged 22, has been in fine fettle over the past year in the German Bundesliga, recording an average Sofascore rating of 6.86 across 30 matches last season, notably completing 87% of his passes and averaging 2.5 tackles per game.
Hailed as a “one-man army” by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Kone also ranks among the top 4% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for successful take-ons and the top 18% for blocks per 90, as per FBref, highlighting his progressive presence – a by-product of his technicality and imposing physicality – and his tenacity as a defensive force,
The statistics-led site lists Caicedo as a comparable player to the £32k-per-week machine, which only strengthens the argument that Liverpool should complete a swoop to rival Chelsea’s new star, who indeed joined the Stamford Bridge side for a British-record £115m earlier this month from Brighton & Hove Albion, rejecting the Merseyside outfit.
Having arrived on English shores for £4.5m from his homeland side Independiente del Valle in 2021, Caicedo chalked up 53 appearances for the Seagulls, scoring twice and registering three assists.
Heralded as the “crown jewel” of Ecuadorian football by football expert and historian Enrico Castro-Montes, the 21-year-old machine ranks among the top 5% of midfielders for pass completion, the top 13% for passes attempted, the top 14% for tackles and the top 15% for interceptions per 90.
In the Premier League last year, Caicedo also recorded an impressive average rating of 7.08 as Brighton secured Europa League football, completing 89% of his passes, also averaging 2.7 tackles per match.
With this superlative level of ball-playing and defensive ferocity in the middle, it is no wonder Liverpool so desperately attempted to hijack the Blues’ transfer bid.
The similarities are there, and if Klopp succeeds in signing Kone, Liverpool could well find the robustness and brutish presence they need to strengthen their squad ahead of a desired renaissance.Lauded as “untouchable” by Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti, the £135k-per-week maestro is also a confident dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 91st percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
It is fair to say the central midfielder poses a real threat on the front foot, but you could argue that he is not the signing Liverpool need at this moment in time, as he would not offer much to the side defensively, placing in just the eighth percentile for tackling.
Valverde could help improve the Reds’ attacking depth, but Klopp could do with bringing in a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, so it could make sense targeting a player who excels defensively.
Despite the disappointment of the Moisés Caicedo and Roméo Lavia transfer sagas, Liverpool had a bit of a silver lining with the arrival of Wataru Endo at the end of the week. He could be a solid addition for Jürgen Klopp’s side and a player who could be just as much of a solid reinforcement as the aforementioned duo — especially if Liverpool can now sign another one or two midfielders.
With just about two weeks left of the window there is still plenty of time left to salvage what is left of it and make it into a success. Now, with Endo arriving for a relatively cheap transfer fee of $21m (£16m/€19m), there’s plenty of money still left to spend on another elite holding midfielder.
Yes, some big names have already made moves this summer, but there are still options on the market who could be strong and valuable additions to the club, and who would boost Klopp’s team with their arrival at Anfield. Alongside Endo, another Lavia alternative would make the midfield look very healthy indeed.
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The club simply just has to look. There are plenty of gems to find hidden away under the radar.
It’s what some of the best run clubs in world football do. That’s why Brighton for example was able to make so much profit in the last year. It found value and potential in players like Caicedo, and harnessed it, producing world-class talent capable of breaking the British transfer record.
Now Liverpool has to do something along those lines. The club has to find value in places towards which there are no eyes turned in order to find potential superstars.
And this should see the Reds return to Klopp’s old club in the Bundesliga in Mainz, where there is an extremely underrated midfielder who could be an ideal addition to the club.
Luxembourg international Leandro Barreiro is a player who ticks a lot of boxes in terms of what Liverpool is looking for in the market at the moment. He is a ball-winner, relatively young and provides a lot of energy and technical elegance as well.
