In the past 12 months, Liverpool has already acquired a player from PSV Eindhoven; is it possible that they would pull the same ruse in the current transfer window?Liverpool is one of the Premier League football teams whose finances are being squeezed by the present defensive midfielder market. They cannot afford to wallow in their humiliating loss in the competitions for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with Chelsea seemingly snatching up the duo for a combined £170 million.
Jurgen Klopp has rebuilt his midfield with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, but the possibility of replacing Jordan Henderson and Fabinho has given him a more difficult issue.
In the base of the midfield three against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Mac Allister made his Reds debut. However, after Anthony Taylor blew the final whistle, it became even more obvious that a specialized defensive midfield addition was required.
The Argentine performed admirably in the position, but it is clear that the World Cup-winning midfielder is unable to fully express the skills that led Liverpool to make him their first summer purchase.
Liverpool has missed out on several high-profile signings in the past 12 months, including Jude Bellingham, Aurelien Tchouameni, Lavia, and Caicedo. Tchouameni was a target for Liverpool last season. However, is there a Premier League situation that the Reds may seize upon involving Nottingham Forest?
Even if the City Ground team avoided the drop last year, their transfer goals should not be overlooked. Ibrahim Sangare of PSV Eindhoven is a player who Steve Cooper’s team is actively pursuing.
The Eredivisie giants have reportedly rejected a second Forest proposal for the 25-year-old midfielder, valued at £21.5 million, according to Voetbal International via Nottingham Post. There are rumors that a deal can be reached if an apparent £32 million release clause is met.
Liverpool has reportedly expressed interest in the Ivory Coast international this week. According to a source close to the midfielder, the Reds are one of three European powerhouses surrounding the Dutch club for their defensive midfielder, along with Paris Saint-Germain and Bayern Munich.
During his early years with FC Toulouse, Sangare has been compared to Yaya Toure and Michael Essien; in more recent seasons, there have been stylistic similarities to Yves Bissouma and most recently signed Chelsea player Lesley Ugochukwu.
Sangare appears to have the qualifications to fill that void, and Liverpool is becoming increasingly desperate to buy a defensive midfielder who can win the ball back. The 25-year-old midfielder in the Eredivisie last campaign won possession in the final third more often than any other player, dispossessing opponents 158 times.
On Sunday, Mac Allister made three tackles in West London, but Sangare had an 80.2 percent tackle success rate last year while averaging 3.7 tackles a game. With the Ivorian, Klopp wouldn’t have to play a midfielder in an uncomfortable position—defensive midfield was where he played in 122 of his 136 games at PSV.
If allegations are to be accepted, Liverpool wouldn’t have a completely clean path to Sangare because PSG, Bayern Munich, and Premier League rival Nottingham Forest are also reportedly interested.
However, there remains a chance that an agreement will be reached this summer. Last week, PSV boss Peter Bosz said that there was still a potential the midfielder might leave the Phillips-Stadion before the September 1 transfer window closed.
It’s true that he can still depart, he remarked. “We all understand that. I believe he is performing nicely. What might be happening does not divert his attention. No, I have no control over that. However, I hope they keep him.
Ruud van Nistelrooy, a former manager of Boeren and a striker for Manchester United, has openly praised the midfielder’s abilities and predicted that he will “go to the top” in the English Premier League.
