Liverpool weighing up late move for £50m “beast”

Liverpool is abuzz with Arne Slot’s facet’s imminent Premier League conflict in opposition to Brentford, who will give Anfield a primary style of motion for the season, however sporting director Richard Hughes could have most of his consideration on the week forward out there.

The 2024 summer time switch window has entered its closing week, and Liverpool stay the one outfit throughout Europe’s prime seven leagues to have refrained some strengthening their first workforce.

Nonetheless, Fabrizio Romano has hinted that the Reds might be set to herald a brand new signing or two earlier than the top of the month, with Slot inheriting an abundantly gifted squad from Jurgen Klopp however one which fell by the wayside towards the top of the 2023/24 marketing campaign and will use some contemporary life.

Ought to Joe Gomez be bought, Liverpool will want a brand new defender, with the 27-year-old attracting curiosity from a bunch of Premier League outfits and being valued at £45m by his membership. Sepp van den Berg has already accomplished a £25m switch to Brentford and the right new arrival would possibly simply be within the pipeline.

Liverpool switch information

As per Soccer Insider, Liverpool are monitoring Bayer Leverkusen’s Piero Hincapie, with the younger centre-back having been on the membership’s radar for fairly a while.

Hincapie was a core a part of the Leverkusen facet that accomplished an invincible home marketing campaign final yr, successful the Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal titles, and can be a big coup for Slot’s facet.

The 22-year-old is known to have a £50m price ticket however Liverpool’s lack of exercise all through the summer time months means that the funds can be found to finish such a deal, with outgoings strengthening Anfield’s monetary accord much more.

What Piero Hincapie would carry to Liverpool

FSG’s pure hesitance to launch high-money bids for gamers that would not instantly stroll into the primary workforce is a widely known reality on Merseyside, however Hincapie might show to be an exception to that rule.

Whereas he isn’t the completed product and would maybe not displace Ibrahima Konate or Jarell Quansah as captain Virgil van Dijk’s undisputed, nailed-on companion in central defence, there’s sufficient there to talk of the significance of getting the deal carried out.

As you’ll be able to see, he has a lot to study earlier than he’s enjoying with the sort of polished, world-class swagger of Van Dijk, however he nonetheless impressed together with his ball-playing high quality and naturally, featured in a defence that concluded the time period with out tasting defeat – and successful the league trophy apart from.

Additionally, as per FBref, the Ecuadorian already ranks among the many prime 9% of centre-backs throughout Europe’s prime 5 leagues over the previous yr for assists, the highest 14% for shot-creating actions, the highest 8% for passes tried, the highest 14% for progressive passes, the highest 1% for progressive carries and the highest 14% for tackles made per 90.

He has the properties that Slot admires, able to enjoying via the strains and driving ahead himself to instigate attacking sequences and add to the central overload that the Dutch tactician likes to cost his swift-passing, control-focused model of soccer.

Tipped to grow to be “one of many world’s greatest centre-backs” by journalist and U23 scout Antonio Mango – who additionally dubbed him an “absolute beast” – Hincapie can be an exquisite addition to the workforce, and would truly be the right substitute for Gomez.

Joe Gomez improve

Bayer Leverkusen have picked up the place they left off below Xabi Alonso, successful the DFL Supercup earlier than scoring a last-gasp winner of their gripping Bundesliga opener in opposition to Borussia Monchengladbach on Friday night time.

Hincapie has already confirmed his qualities and continuous development towards the higher finish of Europe’s defensive titans, successful 80% of his duels final trip.

Gomez gives a defensive versatility that’s astounding in its scope, having featured throughout the backline below Klopp final yr, however it is a new period and Hincapie gives higher distribution, in addition to carrying a few of the abilities that Gomez gives too.

Hincapie, furthermore, is a reliable left-back, impressing when moonlighting down the flank previously. Liverpool have Trent Alexander-Arnold and his electrical understudy Conor Bradley on the opposite facet of the backline, so it is laborious to think about that Gomez would obtain an excessive amount of recreation time in his pure place.

The England worldwide additionally gained solely 48% of his floor duels within the Premier League final season. Whereas Gomez showcased many redeeming qualities after a wretched 2022/23 marketing campaign, incomes a Three Lions recall and main author Joel Rabinowitz to reward his “renaissance”, he isn’t irreplaceable.

Hincapie’s 5.14 progressive passes per 90 over the previous 12 months additionally stands above Gomez’s 4.88 per 90, emphasising additional suitability throughout the new lifestyle at Liverpool.

Gomez can also be the membership’s longest-serving participant after becoming a member of from Charlton Athletic for £3m as an adolescent in 2015, so maybe the time is correct to half methods and challenge in some new blood.

Hincapie is a gifted participant with a lot potential but to be realised, and on condition that he gives the sort of fashion that improve Slot’s system, it looks like a little bit of a no brainer, with Liverpool in want of not less than one signing to make sure that the brand new period goes off and not using a hitch.