According to sources, Liverpool is keeping an eye on James Maddison, a midfielder for Leicester City, in preparation for a possible summer transfer.
THE LOWDOWN: FAMILY OF SUPPORTERS
The Foxes playmaker has 18 months left on his contract at the King Power and has been strongly linked with leaving because he hasn’t signed new terms.
Newcastle and Tottenham of the Premier League have made the 26-year-old a top priority, but Jurgen Klopp may have an unexpected edge.
The England international has previously acknowledged that he comes from a family of Reds fans, and it appears that he has attracted the attention of the Anfield management.
THE LATEST: LIVERPOOL EYEING MADDISON
In advance of the forthcoming summer transfer window, Liverpool are’monitoring’ Maddison’s status, according to Football Insider, and have a ‘active interest’ in the player.
If he leaves Leicester, the Merseysiders are expected to be “in the mix” for his talents, and a sum between £60 and £70 million is “likely to be enough” to close a deal.
THE VERDICT: SPLASH THE CASH
Given that Maddison is Leicester’s top performer overall and that Liverpool is in dire need of a midfield makeover, FSG should absolutely spend big to capture Maddison’s services.
In the top division so far this season, the Puma-sponsored player has tallied nine goals and five assists while averaging 2.9 shots and 2.3 critical passes per game (WhoScored).
The key player for the Foxes is a versatile player who excels at free-kicks, ranking second only to Southampton’s James Ward-Prowse in terms of goals from set-pieces.
Maddison is the ideal choice to give some energy to the middle third on Merseyside after being dubbed a “frightening” player by BT Sport analyst Rio Ferdinand.
Imagine him & Van Dijk: LFC could hit the jackpot with swoop for £97m ‘Rolls-Royce
With a successful raid for the Croatian World Cup hero, Liverpool may complete their defense. Josko Gvardiol is a phenomenon at RB Leipzig.
What’s the latest on Liverpool’s pursuit of Gvardiol?
Transfer expert Fabrizio Romano said in his column for Caught Offside that Reds boss Jürgen Klopp initiated talks for the 21-year-old defender in January despite his German Bundesliga team being unwilling to communicate with outside parties in the middle of the season.
This confirms earlier rumors that the Merseyside club has the highest affection for the growing prodigy, despite interest from teams like Chelsea, Manchester City, and Tottenham Hotspur, even though his €110 million (£97 million) release clause might be a barrier.
The defender also acknowledged that his favorite team is Liverpool, saying: “My dream club? That most certainly would be Liverpool. Since I was young, my dad and I have watched many of their games.
“We thoroughly discussed each season. I still hold this club dear to my heart.
Is Gvardiol really the dream VVD partner?
This season, Liverpool’s defense has been criticized because the midfield hasn’t given the team’s engine the assistance it needs to run at full capacity, and the backline’s efforts have frequently been criticized for being woefully ineffective under pressure.
Even despite a recent winning streak that was capped off by a stunning 7-0 thrashing of longtime rivals Manchester United, players like Joe Gomez and Joel Matip have come under fire for how frequently they put on errant performances.
Should Liverpool sign Gvardiol?
And Gvardiol, who has played 75 times for Leipzig, would be the ideal addition to enhance Klopp’s team and guarantee that the club wins trophies in the years to come.
The 19-cap colossus fits the profile that Klopp is looking for: ball-playing prowess and a creative robustness to ensure counter-attacking moves can take off with lightning speed. He ranks among the top 1% of defenders in Europe’s best five leagues for attempted passes, the top 8% for progressive passes, the top 2% for successful take-ons, and the top 17% for shot-creating actions per 90, according to FBref.
The “Rolls-Royce,” as journalist Zach Lowy has dubbed him, could be the ideal partner for Liverpool’s £75 million monster Virgil van Dijk, who has contributed significantly to the club’s success since joining from Southampton in 2019, including winning the Champions League, Premier League, and FA Cup.
According to WhoScored, Van Dijk ranks in the top 5% of positional peers for passes attempted per 90, while also maintaining an impressive career average passing accuracy of 87.4% and winning 4.1 aerials per game. With Van Dijk’s commanding presence and Gvardiol’s electrifying aura, as well as the exceptional passing abilities of both phenoms, Klopp may have one of football’s most devastating defensive combinations.
Liverpool must act decisively if they want to regain the top rank in both English and European football – table-toppers – even though the cost would be enormous.
The Reds are currently 21 points behind Arsenal, who are ensuring that success is laced with silver over the next years under Klopp’s leadership. The Reds are currently 5-2 down to Real Madrid after the first leg of their Champions League quarterfinal match.
With Gvardiol and Van Dijk on board, the pot might very well be cracked, with previous accomplishments possibly being surpassed and continued success unavoidably following.
