Liverpool Eye 21-Year-Old DR Congo Midfielder: Is £50m Too Much?

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Liverpool transfer news this winter will centre on refinement rather than repair, because the new head coach has built an aggressive side that has lost only once, a 3-0 defeat by Manchester City. Iraola has installed his aggressive press, and although the pressing numbers sit short of his preferred tempo, the defence has tightened noticeably, with an expected goals against average of 1.22.

Liverpool’s main addition was Jeremy Jacquet, the 21-year-old centre-back from Rennes, who has helped with ball progression, but they signed no specialist defensive midfielder, which left a gap in the pivot. Liverpool transfer news: Sunderland midfielder on the radar According to Hooligan Soccer, published by CaughtOffside, Liverpool are monitoring Sunderland’s 21-year-old midfielder Noah Sadiki before January.

Yet his bookings and a red card show his rashness under pressure, and his passing lacks the line-breaking volume Iraola demands. Liverpool need a defensive midfielder, but £50m, inflated by his contract and Premier League premium, buys a project, not an upgrade, for a player with few top-flight appearances.