The summer transfer window closes this week and Liverpool know which player they need to complete Jurgen Klopp’s squad.
Three years ago, Jurgen Klopp did what no Liverpool manager had done in 30 years, handing Anfield the Premier League title. After years of working under the German coach, the Reds dominated England’s top flight and comfortably won the competition by 18 points.
A host of stars have grabbed the headlines throughout the campaign, from Mohamed Salah to Sadio Mané, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Virgil van Dijk, but Klopp’s dedicated midfield section has gone under the radar. Disciplined lieutenants in the middle of the park have provided Liverpool with a platform to control their surroundings, with one player playing more minutes than anyone else.
Captain Jordan Henderson, and not the keeper, was considered probably the best holding midfielder on the planet at the time. In its place was a certain Gini Wijnaldum, who appeared in 37 of a possible 38 matches and started 35 of them, ending up as the mainstay of Liverpool’s defensive strength behind Van Dijk.
An integral part of the Reds during his time on Merseyside,
Wijnaldum accumulated so much time on the pitch because, as well as never getting injured, he painted himself as a sort of blank slate, versatile enough to adapt to any scenario. hand
The Dutchman was complete and intelligent enough to accomplish whatever Klopp asked of him.
“I missed a player like crazy,” Klopp said (via Liverpool’s official website) of Wijnaldum’s departure in 2021. “A true talent, one of the smartest players I’ve ever had the privilege of coaching. His contribution was scalable, a manager’s dream.”
When Wijnaldum first arrived on English shores, he found the back of the net on home soil, finding the net 14 times for PSV Eindhoven in his last Eredivisie campaign. In his debut season in the Premier League, he played mostly as a wide player for Newcastle United, but still managed to score 11 times and provide five assists for the 18th-placed side.
Wijnaldum also had experience playing as an attacking number 10 for his national team, with a knack for making late runs into the box and predicting where the ball would land.
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At Liverpool, Klopp proved keen to use him as an eight man who would sit behind the ball but also push forward when the Reds needed a goal. He was a very useful tactical tool for his manager, also operating as a number six in the red shirt and even as a central defender and false nine.
Klopp has navigated life without Wijnaldum for the past two years, but he still seems to be searching for that versatile presence that he can mold depending on the circumstances. Liverpool are currently hoping to strengthen their midfield department before the window closes this week, with Ryan Gravenberch the club’s main recruit alongside Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz.
The Bayern Munich midfielder isn’t quite at Wijnaldum’s level yet, but he’s still only 21 years old. Gravenberch has quite a versatile skill set, physical presence and tactical versatility, having risen through the youth ranks at Ajax as a player who initially occupied the deeper fields before moving towards the end of his time in Holland. . Luiz is no different in that regard, having gained experience over the years as a holding midfielder and an eight that approaches the final third.
Gravenberch has started just three games in the Bundesliga since moving to Bavaria last summer, so the Reds appear to be monitoring his situation ahead of a late move.
It is questionable whether Gravenberch is what the current Liverpool squad really needs, but he has the qualities to become Klopp’s new Wijnaldum, as does Luiz, although perhaps to a lesser extent as he is already 25 years old.
Wijnaldum and Gravenberch even played together, representing the same national team. The difference,
however, is that one has reached the twilight of his career, while the other still has the world at his feet. If the Reds move him this week, Klopp could finally address the void he has been forced to deal with over the past two seasons.
