According to reports in Sport Bild, Premier League clubs Liverpool and Manchester City are ready to go to battle over Bosnian left-back Sead Kolasinac. Both Pep Guardiola and Jurgen Klopp have identified the need of a solid left-back in their team’s back four, and are looking to bring in Kolasinac to strengthen that position.
Stoke and West Ham are also rumoured to be eyeing up the Schalke defender in a potential move, however, it is reported that the player would prefer a move to Liverpool or Manchester City, should an offer come in.
Born in Karlsruhe, Germany, Kolasinac decided to play for his parents’ home country, Bosnia and Herzegovina, despite having a German passport. Joining Schalke’s youth team in 2011, he made the step up to their second team a year later. He was promoted to the first team after scoring 2 goals in seven games, and made his first appearance for them in September 2012.
Replacement for Moreno?
Liverpool have struggled to nail down a regular left-back, with James Milner, primarily a midfielder, currently filling in that role. Spanish left-back Alberto Moreno, who was bought from Sevilla by ex-manager Brendan Rodgers, has often proved to be defensively frail, costing his team a number of goals in the past. Jurgen Klopp’s patience with Moreno has worn thin and he does not see James Milner as a permanent left-back.
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There are considerably more left-backs at Manchester City than Liverpool, namely, Aleksander Kolarov, Gael Clichy, and, to an extent, Bacary Sagna, but Pep Guardiola is unsure about their long-term reliability since all of them are above 31 years old, and he needs someone who can be a regular starter in the years to come.
What is his role?
Sead Kolasinac can play in multiple defensive positions, including centre-back and defensive midfield, two positions he has often played when in Schalke’s second team. He was tasked with playing as a left-back after the step up to the first team, and his defensive discipline and versatility have made him one of the most coveted full-backs in the Bundesliga. He has already scored twice and listed four assists in eight league games for Schalke this season, stats that are exceptionally high for a defender.
With very little time left on his contract, it is left to be seen whether Kolasinac extends it, or opts to move abroad. Schalke fans will definitely want him to stay, however, the lure of the Premier League and playing under Guardiola or Klopp, two of the best managers in the world, may be enough to convince him to leave.
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