Liverpool were quite obviously tired against Tottenham Hotspur in Carabao Cup on Wednesday night, and perhaps the same could be said for them Premier League draw against Manchester United last weekend.
Arne SlottThe team have been fantastic this year, with a title-winning bid in which they outplayed their rivals and took a six-point lead (with a game in hand) midway through the campaign.
Sometimes things don’t go according to plan in football. Liverpool’s 24-game unbeaten run was ended at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in controversial circumstances, but the plain truth is that the Reds were toothless in attack and shaky at the back.
Perhaps a good way to address these issues and restore the feel-good factor would be to work somewhere in the middle and strengthen Liverpool’s midfield this month.
Maybe there was an opportunity for a new six. Ryan Gravenberch he has been sensational this year, although he has started all 15 games in the Premier League and Europe, and needs support.
Liverpool are looking at another midfielder
According to German journalist Christian FalkLiverpool are interested in the signing Joshua Kimmich this year, the contract with the Bayern Munich star expires at the end of the season.
The 29-year-old midfielder is involved in talks with his employers in order to extended his contract worth £314,000 a weekbut Liverpool are now in a position to consider their proposal and could tempt him to try outside his homeland for the first time.
If FSG are serious about their interest, they might be wise to act prudently and bring him in this winter, as Manchester City are also snooping around and want bringing him in this month for a bargain £10m.
What Joshua Kimmich would bring to Liverpool
Typically, Liverpool like to sign players before their prime, identify exciting talents and mold them into elite-level superstars. Typically. FSG makes exceptions, Thiago Alcantara to be the most prominent.
In 2020, Thiago joined Liverpool from Bayern Munich (what do you know) in an attractive £25 million deal. The Premier League champions saw an opportunity and grabbed it, the Spaniard is one of the pre-eminent midfielders of his generation.
It was not a skill set Liverpool were used to Jurgen Klopp‘s tutelage, but Thiago was arguably the most technically gifted midfielder in Europe and added something different to the team.
Indeed, the Reds were treated to some incredible football with Thiago at the centre, but unfortunately injuries limited him to partial success, less than his exciting years with Bayern and Barcelona, winning Champions League titles with each and many lifting many league trophies.
Back to Kimmich. FSG might be wary of repeating a move with a player of a similar age from the same stadium, but the German’s fitness record is far better than his former team-mate. What’s more, he could replicate the quality of playing the ball in a slot system better suited to him.
The now retired Thiago he started only 51 Premier League games during his four-year stay at Liverpool, averaging around 13 per term. The fact that he made such an indelible impression on the fans at Anfield despite his fitness issues suggests that Kimmich could have an incredible impact.
TalkSPORT pundit Tony Cascarino actually hailed Thiago as “perhaps the most gifted player I’ve seen in the Premier League.” Liverpool are grateful for the time spent with the distinguished Spaniard, but it could have been a lot more.
Certainly, there are tactical similarities between the players. Comparing Kimmich’s stats from this term to Thiago’s in 2021/22, when he received the aforementioned praise from Cascarino and was at his supposed Liverpool peak, you can see that his quality is indeed recognizable through elements of Kimmich’s skill set.
It’s food for thought. Slott would relish the opportunity to improve his squad with a different “world class” midfielder – as greeted by Julian Nagelsmann – one that differs from Gravenberch, admittedly.
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Thiago Alcantara (21/22) vs. Joshua Kimmich (24/25) |
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|---|---|---|
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Statistics (90 each) |
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Objectives |
0.06 |
0.07 |
|
Assists |
0.23 |
0.27 |
|
Actions to create a shot |
3.93 |
4.73 |
|
Completion of passage |
88.9% |
90.3% |
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Passes attempted |
88.47 |
119.93 |
|
Progressive additions |
12.56 p.m |
11.87 |
|
Progressive mounts |
1.41 |
1.87 |
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Ball recovery |
7.39 |
6.53 |
|
Addresses + interceptions |
4.34 |
2.33 |
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Statistics via FBref |
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Watching the two players, you can see that they both bring the gold standard when it comes to pulling strings with their impact, adding an obscene number of progressive passes every game, while showing athleticism through their rebounding.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent’s goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Furthermore, Kimmich may not be as active a defensive force in Bayern’s first team, but he is still more than reliable in that regard, having won 66% of his duels on the ground in the Bundesliga this season, according to Sofascore.
With Thiaga regarded as perhaps the most technically gifted player to grace the Premier League and Kimmich able to go toe-to-toe with him on a similar scale, there is a solid case for Liverpool to get their mitts on their best midfielder from the Spanish star if Kimmich is brought in.
Sloto’s long-term project could progress with him in the mix, competing with Gravenberch for that sixth spot, but it could also be FSG launching a £10m move this month to give Liverpool something added in the centre. That could make a difference.
