Missed Opportunities
Liverpool’s business in the transfer market this summer has been largely debatable amongst the supporters.
Many were pleased with the acquisitions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szobozslai, but perhaps less supportive in the signing of Wataru Endo.
The Reds have been left quite fragile in both the midfield and defensive positions, leaving many supporters questioning the ambition of the owners.
There has been a number of players that Liverpool may have missed out on this summer which would’ve fit into Jurgen Klopp’s plans perfectly.
Today we’re going to look at three players that the Reds have missed out on, whether that be through their own desires or other factors.
Manuel Ugarte (Paris Saint-Germain):
One of the first names to be linked with a move to Anfield this summer, the Sporting midfielder ultimately made a £50 million switch to PSG instead. With just two days left of the transfer window, in most people’s eyes, Liverpool have yet to solve the major problem that haunted them last season.
The 22-year-old was unbelievable for Sporting last season, making 47 appearances across all competitions. Ugarte boasts some of the best defensive stats for a defensive midfielder in the world, averaging 5.13 tackles and 6.76 tackles and interceptions per 90 minutes. He also averaged a huge 9.28 ball recoveries per 90 minutes for Sporting last season.
I’m a huge fan of Ugarte and strongly believe that he could’ve been both an immediate and long-term solution to Klopp’s defensive midfield puzzle. The price tag of £50 million also becomes an absolute steal in today’s market, with the likes of Matheus Nunes and Cheick Doucoure costing nearly £70 million.
Jurrien Timber (Arsenal):
Other than defensive midfield, Liverpool are also in desperate need of reinforcements in their back line. Particularly at centre-back and right-back, with no fit natural back-up to Trent Alexander-Arnold due to Conor Bradley’s injury.
Jurrien Timber would’ve provided both depth and quality to all these positions and is even capable of moving into midfield as an inverted full-back. The 22-year-old joined Arsenal from Ajax for approximately £40 million earlier in the window, after numerous impressive seasons in Holland.
Timber massively impressed in pre-season for the Gunners but unfortunately suffered a major ACL injury in his competitive debut and will be out for 6-7 months. In hindsight, I guess Liverpool got lucky with this one, but this move would’ve been perfect to fit Klopp’s needs.
Benjamin Pavard (Inter Milan):
Pavard has been regularly linked with a move to Anfield this summer but is now set to sign for Inter Milan. After being a consistent performer for Bayern Munich and the France National Team over recent years, the 27-year-old is now on the lookout for regular first-team football.
The deal between the two clubs is expected to be in the region of £25 million, which is reasonably cheap for a World Cup winner in today’s market. Pavard could’ve provided some much-needed quality and depth to both the right-back and centre-back positions.
With the news that Nathaniel Phillips is set to leave on loan to Celtic, Liverpool will surely look to sign a defender before the transfer window shuts on Friday.
