The season is drawing closer and closer; the summer transfer window is moving at full swing. As the Red army marches on with Jurgen Klopp in an attempt to seal Champions League qualification come May next year, they would need some more new weapons in their arsenal.
The Premier League side have already signed Loris Karius, Joel Matip, Sadio Mane and Marko Grujic. With the exception of Matip and Mane, none could really be labelled as established players. They, however, have a lot of potential.
But as we have seen with Arsenal over the years, potential rarely wins you titles—experience is also fundamental. Keeping that in mind, Klopp has to do some more work in the transfer window and here are 5 players that he should sign in order to strengthen Liverpool’s bid for a top four finish…
1) Ragnar Klavan
This signing makes sense. As Liverpool go into the season with only two quality center-backs––Joel Matip and Mamadou Sakho––that could be labelled as reliable, it would be an absolute risk to keep it that way. While Dejan Lovren would provide good cover for the aforementioned two, his inconsistency has often hurt Liverpool in crunch moments.
Ragnar Klavan is all but set to join Liverpool for a fee of a mere £4.3 million. If you are looking for a world class defender, look away. If, however, you are looking for a stable defender who is not prone to making mistakes like Lovren, then he is your man.
At 30 years old, he doesn’t represent Liverpool’s long-term interest—and that is a good thing. With tons of experience, he could become a teacher to the younger players, especially the highly talented 19-year-old, Joe Gomez.
Also, he can play at left-back if needed.
2) Christian Fuchs
When Liverpool signed Alberto Moreno, fans were ecstatic. For one, he was a Spaniard who came off of the back of a brilliant season with Sevilla. However, despite being brilliant when it comes to going forward, fans saw his lacking as a defender.
Liverpool have already been linked with a Leicester City left-back. Ben Chilwell is a highly rated youngster who is only 19 but hasn’t played a single minute in the Premiership. With age on Moreno’s side, signing Chilwell might not as positive as some think.
However, signing the man he is supposed to replace in the near future could be a great deal.
Christian Fuchs enjoyed a stellar season in the Premiership last year as his stupendous displays from the left side of the defence helped Leicester do the miracle of winning the Premier League. With a lot of experience behind him, he could also become a mentor for Moreno and hone his defensive skills.
3) Benedikt Howedes
Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez are going to miss the beginning of the season due to injury. That leaves Liverpool with only two recognised center-halves in Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren. While the former was one of the Bundesliga’s best last season, the latter is prone to errors.
Enter Benedikt Howedes.
The Schalke captain has been one of the most consistent defenders in the Bundesliga and, in general, football. His leadership abilities from the back is also a crucial aspect of his game. The best part, however, is that he already has an understanding with the Reds’ new acquisition Joel Matip.
The signing of Klavan is close to completion, hence signing Howedes could and would over-crowd the defence. However, that doesn’t change the fact that he would be a brilliant signing.
4) Georginio Wijnaldum
Last season for Newcastle United was an absolute disaster. Despite having some really good players, they managed to get relegated. They now find themselves in a position where they have quite a few players that are too good for the Championship.
And one of them is Georginio Wijnaldum.
The Dutchman was one of the better aspects for the Magpies last term. His directness has always been appreciated by the Toon army—and God knows, Liverpool need a midfielder as direct as him.
Also, he is highly versatile. Capable of playing in the centre and on the wings and he would provide much-needed depth in Liverpool’s midfield.
5) Max Meyer
And we finish the slideshow with the most talented player in this list. Max Meyer is a star for the future. And, perhaps, the future is now.
Jurgen Klopp has a cluster of midfielders at Anfield, but only Philippe Coutinho could be labelled as world-class among them. While it would be a bit of a stretch to label Meyer with that tag, it is undeniable that he will become one in the future.
He has insane potential and when Schalke were pitted against Real Madrid in the round of 16 clash in the Champions League in 2015, he was one of the best players on the pitch, bettering even the more established Julian Draxler.
We have seen last season that Coutinho often find himself alone as the creative hub of the team—the one who creates the moments of magic to make the difference. If Klopp manages to convince Meyer to join Liverpool, Coutinho would no longer feel lonely.
