In addition to Van Dijk and Joe Gomez, Klopp’s centre backs crisis just got a lot deeper. Joel Matip is set to miss the rest of the season with an ankle ligament injury. However, the reds responded by securing some loan signings to complete the season. Therefore, it’s safe to say: Liverpool’s New Signings: Do Or Die For The Reds!
New Players: Who Are They?
Let’s take a closer look at the new players Liverpool secured this transfer window, along with the loan details and what will they offer during their spell at the club.
Ben Davies
- Loan Detail: The player signed from Preston on a £1.6 million deal, £500k up front with the rest in add-ons. Preston have a 20% sell-on clause on any future profit. Davies was set to sign for Celtics until Liverpool intervened, after that the choice was easy for him to make.
So what can Liverpool expect from him? The 25 year old is obviously delighted to be at a top club and is looking to make a quick impression. I doubt that Davies ever thought that one day he will wake up to find himself with an opportunity to win the Premier League and even play at the Champions League. Coming from the Championship, Ben already posses the toughness to survive the Premier League, but what about European football?
Davies graduated through the academy ranks at Preston and went on to represent them on 145 occasions. He said during his first interview:
I’m looking forward to coming in and playing in front of everyone and showing everyone what I can do. I’m sure a lot of fans and people don’t know me, or haven’t even seen me play.
Well to tell you the truth he’s right, I for once have not seen him play and am excited to see how he will fit with the system. Click here to read the rest of the interview.
As for the coach, he explained what attracted Liverpool to sign Davies while admitting that the situation they are in triggered the signing. Here is what Klopp had to say:
We see the quality and we see the potential as well because he’s 25 and there’s a lot to come for him. I love a lot about his play. He’s a really good footballer, looks like a proper leader in this Preston team, good in challenges, looks football smart, can play different positions because he played in a back three and a back four and all these things. That makes him really interesting so I’m really looking forward to working with him.
Ozan Kabak
- Loan Detail: The player signed from Schalke on a £1 million deal, (+ £500k in potential extras). Option to buy £18m + add ons, which doesn’t need to be activated until June.
How about Kabak, what can he offer for Liverpool? Both David Wanger (close friend of Klopp and former Schalke manager) and Christian Heidel (Former Schalke sporting director and worked with Klopp at Mainz) provided positive feedback on the player.
Liverpool will keep an eye for the future with that deal, hoping to secure the service of the Turkish international for a long term. The reds have been after the player before but Schalke demanded a higher fee, so Klopp will find this the perfect situation to “Try him before he buys him”.
However, regardless the praises everyone had on Kabak and the fact that he’s just 20 years old with a “future captain” personality, the player have no time to waste. Despite a move from the bottom of the German league to the top of the English league, not everything is roses here. After Brighton this midweek, Liverpool face Man City, Leicester, Leipzig and Everton. With all the CBs injured, Kabak will have to hit the ground running if he wants to make a case for himself and prove to everyone what he is made of.
Conclusion
Liverpool’s New Signings: Do Or Die For The Reds! On the bright side, Liverpool were able to secure 2 CBS for a total of just £1.5 million. Thus, the champions responded to their crisis by signing young players without financially hampering themselves nor hindering their long-term planning for the position. With the complexity of the pandemic situation we are all living, this is considered good business.
However, the club could have avoided this have they responded to Klopp’s demands earlier. It was not until Matip was confirmed to miss the rest of the season that Liverpool decided to act. Now some might argue that both players comes from “lower standards” clubs and don’t have the “right mentality” to win.
Robertson, Wijnaldum and Shaqiri all signed from relegated clubs and it turned out okay. So what’s the problem? As long as the coach is satisfied and believe that the players are good enough, that’s all that matters. Now they may not miraculously solve all of the Liverpool’s problems, but they will definitely provide stability that Klopp always demanded.
So Liverpool fans, are you happy with the signings? Do you think they will make an impact and ease the pressure off Klopp? Or will they backfire and prove costly to the club? Let me know your thoughts, feel free to comment.
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