What could Bruno Fernandes bring to Liverpool?

Over the last few weeks, Bruno Fernandes has been linked with Liverpool FC and AC Milan. According to Correio de Manha in Portugal, Sporting Lisbon could be forced into selling their star playmaker due to financial reasons. While Liverpool have had the upper hand in the race for the Portuguese international.

Style Of Play

While Fernandes has been used in a variety of roles across midfield and attack this season, he has mostly operated as a no.10 or a creative central midfielder. He has scored 22 times in 39 games across all competitions, which is an incredible stat for a midfielder. Moreover, he has also notched up seven assists in the Primeira Liga this season.

Speaking more about his contribution to the team's attacking output, he has averaged around 2.4 key passes, 1.5 crosses and 0.2 through balls per game across all competitions this season. Moreover, he has taken around 2.8 shots per game (two of them have been from outside the box) and completed 0.9 dribbles per game this season. He has also been fouled around 2.1 times per match thus increasing the number of set pieces received per game.

Furthermore, he has some impressive defensive stats as well. He has averaged around 1.7 tackles and 0.6 interceptions per game in the middle of the park. He has also averaged around 0.2 blocks per game.

As a midfielder, he is energetic, tenacious and creative in his style of play. A complete midfielder, he is someone who likes to dictate the attacking tempo of the team from deep, whilst also helping out his team defensively.

Fernandes is capable of taking shots from long range and has also scored a few goals in the process. Moreover, he is also a very intelligent reader of the game and he has excellent positional awareness on the field.

How could Liverpool lineup with him?

As seen during his time at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp prefers to line his players up in an attacking 4-3-3 lineup. The major tactical attributes of Klopp's Liverpool are high pressing (gegenpress) and counter-attack. Bruno could play as a no.8 in Klopp's system owing to his pace, creativity, dribbling and tenacious style of play if he were to arrive.

Conclusion

Looking at the circumstances, it looks very likely that Bruno Fernandes could arrive at Anfield this summer. He is a typical modern midfielder who could fit in well at Liverpool. Moreover, he could finally be the Philippe Coutinho replacement, which the Liverpool fans have been crying out for a pretty long time.