Squad Adjustments Amidst Injuries
As Liverpool FC continue to navigate their way through this period, they do so without either Kostas Tsimikas or Andy Robertson available. As a reaction to those two ongoing injuries, the club have decided to recall Owen Beck from his very impressive half-season loan spell at Dundee United. Given the fact that the Reds Scotland captain, Andy Robertson, will be back in February, I suspect Jürgen Klopp would prefer to cover this period with youth, rather than spend on an expensive short-term measure. After the brilliant first season of Jarell Quansah, the 56-year-old German may be keen to throw more academy products into the first team picture, which may help reinvigorate some of his more senior players.
Transfer Speculations and Possible Acquisitions
Regardless of my opinion (which means little), there still seem to be tentative enquiries about various left-sided players that could arrive in this January transfer window. Gonçalo Inácio seemed like the name most likely a few weeks back, given his overall skill set and ability to play both centrally and wide. A name that he crept to the fore in the last few days, is that of Antonee Robinson, who has emerged time and time again in the Liverpool-related gossip pages. With several standout performances this season, the English-born left-back is someone who is probably looking at his next big move. Despite his international allegiance having shifted to the USA back in 2014, he is still a home-grown player, having been born in Milton Keynes and playing the entirety of his youth and senior career in English football.
Antonee Robinson: A Closer Look
Antonee Robinson Profile Club – Fulham Nationality – American (English HG) Age – 26-years-old DOB – 08/08/1997 Height – 6ft 0inch Weight – 77kg Appearances – 238 games Goals / Assists – 4 goals / 16 assists Senior Minutes Played – 19,123 Contract Expiry – June 30 2028 Transfermarkt Value – €20m Projected Cost of Deal – €30m
Robinson’s Journey to Fulham
Where Did He Come From?
The former Wigan Athletic player arrived at Craven Cottage in 2020, having moved around the north of England in his youth. The first taste of football for the man known as Jedi came in 2015, where he spent four years in the Everton youth academy. Subsequent loans to Bolton and then Wigan were undertaken, having never played a senior game for Liverpool’s Merseyside neighbours. Eventually, that second loan spell became permanent in 2019. The immediate progression of the tough tackling fullback nearly had the 6ft defender sign for Serie A giants, AC Milan (in January 2020), before medical issues scuppered the move to Italy. Finally, a to Fulham materialized six months later, where the 39-cap USA international has excelled ever since.
https://twitter.com/whoscored/status/1742167349996720600?s=46&t=rxgukmqdoXc4muVFLSx2EQ
Assessing the Fit for Liverpool
What Is the Likelihood of a Move to Anfield?
The age and projected cost of this move make it unlikely, however, you imagine that given Robinson’s height and defensive prowess, he may be better suited to the defensive requirements now needed on the left. The ongoing hybrid initiative is a system of play that is still being developed, which is why so many defensive left-backs have been mentioned since the summer. Each prospective player has been over 6ft and offers a certain physicality, which is not entirely how you would describe either Andy Robertson or Kostas Tsimikas. The statistics within the link below, show that the Fulham man is an ultra-combative player, who would offer more steal and resilience to a defence that can sometimes be countered by direct opposition. There is no real injury record to worry about and whatever medical issues arose around the failed Milan move, seems to have faded away.
https://twitter.com/lfctransferroom/status/1742100907855167634?s=46&t=rxgukmqdoXc4muVFLSx2EQ
For Liverpool, reinforcements are vital to sustaining a run at the Premier League, therefore, if the Reds were to sign this ferocious left-back, there would only be an upside to such a January deal.
