- Anfield Index

It was clear last summer that Liverpool were in search of a creative midfielder. Nabil Fekir was identified as the man to fulfil that role but, as we all know, that deal fell through. Despite having a much-improved defence and showing signs of increased maturity to their play, a lack of creativity from the Liverpool midfield has been all too apparent at various times this season and the answer to that problem could well be Bayer Leverkusen’s, Julian Brandt. Born …

With the breaking news this morning that Bailey himself confirmed Liverpool have a “concrete interest” in him, I decided to follow on from my pieces on Fekir & Pulisic with a look at the Leverkusen star, Leon Bailey. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfzKDAPd9VY Above: Reliable Bundesliga journalist, Old Gregg, hinting at a move to Liverpool. My mind wandered this morning to that exact moment I fell in love with him, as a player. I had seen him a few times, mostly in cameos or a …

It was definitely going to be Thursday, then absolutely Friday, then without question Saturday… but at 8pm Saturday night, the Nabil Fekir saga came to an abrupt halt. Depending on which party you believe, Liverpool had reservations once they had the opportunity to review the details of Fekir’s knee reconstructions from two years prior or Liverpool were simply using the knee as an excuse to try and renegotiate a lower fee at the last minute. Regardless of who you believe, …

After the untimely departure of Philippe Coutinho, Liverpool supporters are understandably anxious to pin their hopes to a replacement. The names that are repeatedly thrown out there are Leicester’s Riyad Mahrez and Monaco’s Thomas Lemar. However, reports have varied from tales of deals nearly done to outright dismissals of the links altogether. Two recent journalist interviews have created a serious buzz amongst LFC supporters and may move the media microscope to an entirely different group of players. The Telegraph’s Jason …

Thomas Lemar The man who this writer once described as being the creative force behind Kylian Mbappe, Thomas Lemar is the man being touted as the replacement for Phillipe Coutinho. There’s a good reason Monaco’s price tag is yet to waver from the €90 million mark – that is the reflection of his importance to Leonardo Jardim’s side. Though a winger by position, Lemar’s dribbling ability and creative incision are belied by a willingness to do the hard yards, and …

A week from August.  Less than three weeks from Liverpool’s opening match of the season. The Reds have signed one of the best forwards in Italy, a promising young left-back, and stole a striker prospect from a rival. Our two biggest targets in terms of value and publicity have become quite elusive to acquire while at the same time, two European giants, Barca and Juve, are now circling ominously over midfield stars, Phil Coutinho and Emre Can. Tick tock.  Tick …

It’s been a rather torrid season for Bayer Leverkusen. Through it all, there was a blonde-haired 21 year-old plying his tricky, flashy trade in the attack, creating where Leverkusen struggled to finish. Now, Julian Brandt is a prime target ripe for the taking. He’s attracted interest from clubs with notable reputations: Liverpool and Bayern Munich – a signal of his ability if ever there was one. A report that he’d already agreed to a deal with Bayern was quelled by …