In this series, we will analyse teams, identify problem areas, and suggest solutions in the form
of incoming players. We won’t follow gossip, rumours or conjecture. We’re concerned only
with a player’s on-field performance and their suitability for the role in question.
Today’s team is Liverpool, welcome to Sensible Transfers.
Liverpool are in excellent shape heading into the new season. Sadio Mane has departed,
but Darwin Nunez has arrived to preserve the attacking variety. Elsewhere, Fulham
starlet Fabio Carvalho has joined and Aberdeen full-back Calvin Ramsay has moved south too.
Given Jurgen Klopp’s range of options and the depth he has available across the pitch,
there’s no reason why the club can’t go one better
in the Premier League and in Europe with the current squad.
So, for this edition of Sensible Transfers, we thought we’d try a different approach and
identify players that Liverpool should have their eye on, or who would suit the way they typically
recruit young talent. In the past, they’ve prioritised high-ceiling players who have
also benefitted from plenty of senior experience at a young age, and who also represent value
and minimal financial risk, often by being close to or at the end of their contracts.
Carvalho is a good example of this, as was Dutch centre-back Sepp van den Berg.
Going back further, Dominic Solanke’s signing conformed to this trait too,
so did the acquisition of Joe Gomez from Charlton.
That’s a helpful guide and we’ve chosen two
positions across which those tendencies could be applied.
Finding a back-up to Fabinho is difficult and it’s harder still to find a long-term successor.
One of the issues with the Liverpool version of the No.6 position is that it’s a balance between
defensive security and ability on the ball. You need a player who can perform a traditional
defensive function and also nullify counter attacks before they develop and that’s the
kind of duality that tends most often to occur in older, more experienced players.
Initially, young players are either very aggressive defensively or highly expressive
with the ball, rarely both at the same time, and so searching for this kind of profile isn’t easy.
Fabinho himself is a good example of that. He wasn’t even exclusively a midfielder before
arriving at Liverpool and, at Monaco, during that season in which Leonardo Jardim’s side enjoyed a
run to the Champions League semi-final, he was a more dynamic player who found himself in the
penalty box far more regularly than he does now. Today’s Fabinho is an evolved version.
So, we’re looking for someone we can mould – who has the abilities to become a Liverpool
No.6 of the future – and because of that, we’ve divided these candidates into two categories.
We’ve selected two players who aren’t available at the moment, but who are excellent prospects
and are worth tracking over the coming seasons, and one who would be more immediately gettable.
First up, the unavailables – the first of which is Romeo Lavia,
who has just joined Southampton from Manchester City.
Lavia is interesting because he’s commanded a big fee – around £15m – despite having almost no
senior experience to speak of. The Belgian was heavily hyped at youth level and spent most of
the 2021-22 season as the deepest point of Manchester City’s Elite Development Squad.
He’s a very well-rounded player and, given the fee paid for him,
he’s expected to start alongside Oriel Romeu for Southampton almost immediately.
City have a £40m buyback clause, but he’s still someone worth paying attention too.
Someone else worth keep an eye on is Aston Villa’s Tim Ireogbunam,
who has just turned 19 and made his Premier League debut last season. He
arrived from West Bromwich Albion a year ago and is now on a contract that runs
until 2027 – that makes him unattainable for now – but he’s certainly one for the radar.
Most recently, Ireogbunam was part of the England u19 side that won their age group’s
European Championship, playing alongside clubmate Carney Chukwuemeka in midfield.
Ireogbunam was strong defensively, good on the ball, and although the balance in his
passing isn’t quite right – he takes a few too many risks at the moment – that’s a flaw
which could be corrected in time. He’s someone to pay attention to.
Our Sensible Transfer is Noah Mbamba, who has just won a Belgian title with Club Brugges.
Mbamba is just 17 but managed over 500 minutes in the Jupiler League last season
as well as making a couple of substitute appearances in the Champions League. That
experience at a young age would certainly satisfy part of Liverpool’s criteria.
He’s defensively decent already and is a capable ball-winner. At 187cm tall and likely still
growing, his size will be an asset too. Most of his minutes last season came as a lone no.6
in a three-man midfield, but he also spent some time at centre-back. Together, those
roles showcased not only those defensive strengths mentioned, but also a promising carrying ability.
His passing remains a little too risky, a product of his youth most
likely, and he’s prone to turning possession over in dangerous areas.
There is some suggestion that he’ll renew his contract in the near future,
but at the moment he’s on a deal which runs until 2023,
which would – as with previous deals for young players –suit Liverpool’s recruiting style.
Liverpool are well stocked at forward. In addition to Luis Diaz, Mohamed Salah,
Diogo Jota, Luis Diaz and now Darwin Nunez,
Klopp could potentially use Harvey Elliott in an advanced position too. But we want one more:
a younger player with a high-ceiling who could cover at least two positions.
As before, we’re also after players who have had a lot of experience early in
their careers and, if possible, someone approaching the end of their contract.
Wilfried Gnonto ticks all of those boxes.
Gnonto is a former Inter Milan academy player who left Italy in 2020 and moved to Switzerland and
to FC Zurich. Even at just 18, he’s just finished his second full season at the club, during which
he and they won the Swiss title, he scored eight times and during which he was actually capped
by Italy at senior international level. He’s now made four appearances, scoring one goal.
In 2021-22, he had over 1400 minutes in the league, playing exclusively in a striker pair.
He’s not really a centre-forward, though,
as evidenced by his playing on the left or right for Italy. He’s short, just 170cm tall,
but he’s a quick, foul-provoking player who dribbles well and who’s active in wide areas.
Despite a lack of data to support this, he’s also a capable creative player too.
Zurich are currently engaged in their attempt to qualify for the Champions League group stages,
and if they fail to progress through the playoff rounds he might leave the club this Summer.
His current contract expires in 2023, so even if they do reach the Champions
League proper he’ll likely depart for free in a year’s time. He’s Sensible Transfer 1.
Sensible Transfer 2 is Roony Bardghji, who plays in Denmark for FC Copenhagen. Born in 2005,
he won’t turn 17 until later this year, but he’s a product of the Copenhagen and Malmo
academies and comes with an interesting backstory. He was actually born in Kuwait,
is eligible to play for Syria, and currently represents Sweden at u21 level.
Like Gnonto, he was also a league winner this season, playing over 750 minutes during the
campaign. He’s left-footed, but plays exclusively from the right-hand side, and while he’s not
much of a creator – yet – he’s a consistent goal-threat and already an accomplished dribbler.
What makes him unusual at this stage of his development, though,
is his defensive contribution. His pressing performance is above average,
as is his general defensive performance – including his willingness to support his
full-back - which is a very rare quality in a technically proficient 16 year-old.
He’s also on an expiring contract, although his present deal runs until December 2023,
meaning he isn’t quite into his final year yet. The Danish league does begin in July,
though, so there’s time to watch him before the Premier League starts again.
So, two different options with slightly contrasting abilities and strengths,
but two players to whom Liverpool should be paying
attention as they continue their succession planning.