The transfer window is just around the corner, and the rumours are beginning to hot up.
Liverpool spent just £1.71m during the summer, and it seems to have been enough so far as they lead the way in the Premier League. However, as they make that second-half surge towards their first title in 30 years, they may need some reinforcements.
Defensive midfield could be one of the areas that is in need of a new recruit considering that Fabinho is out of action until the New Year, and if the latest reports are to be believed, Genk’s Sander Berge is on their radar. The Reds have already faced the Norway international twice this term, in the Champions League, and Jurgen Klopp was even said to have been particularly impressed with the 21-year-old. Not only that, they are even said to have had a €15m (£12.6m) bid rejected for him.
But do Liverpool actually even need him? We ask a selection of Football FanCast writers to find out.
Viji Jeevathayalan
“Standing at an imposing 6 foot 5, Sander Berge is a midfield giant. Operating in that holding role, the Norwegian has proven himself to be defensively strong, and equally metronomic with his passing. In the Champions League this season, the 21-year-old has averaged 1.8 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per game, whilst his passing accuracy is up at an impressive 82%.
“Whilst Liverpool haven’t exactly missed Fabinho since he was ruled out until at least the New Year with an injury, it does raise some serious questions about their squad depth in that key anchorman role. Jamie Carragher hailed the Brazilian as the best in the Premier League in his position earlier in the season, and it goes to show how highly-rated the former AS Monaco man has become. If the Reds were to suffer more bad luck on the injury front when it comes to the 26-year-old, they may rue potentially not signing a replacement. Berge’s stats proves he would be the perfect cover for Fabinho.”
Domagoj Kostanjsak
“Sander Berge is one of the hottest prospects on the market currently and given Liverpool don’t really have natural replacements for Fabinho in the middle of the park, scooping up the young midfielder before someone else does sounds like a good plan.
“At this point, I’d actually say that he would be a necessary buy for Klopp. Depth wins you silverware and even though Liverpool have an incredible team, Berge could boost a somewhat sore area of the squad. If they can get him, it’s a no-brainer for me.”
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Danny Lewis
“Given the plethora of midfield options Liverpool already have at their disposal, it can be argued that they don’t necessarily need Berge. However, it will still be useful to sign him during the January transfer window, as he can be another body to battle for a place in the midfield. This will also be especially beneficial from the 21-year-old’s point of view.
“There will likely be plenty of games to be played, meaning he can be used at various points within the second half of the campaign and embedded into the team. This is also a squad that is currently excelling, as signified by the fact they are eight points ahead at the top of the Premier League and suffering from a build-up of fixtures. Being involved with a team like that can only do him good.”
Jack Saville
“It’s easy to understand why Liverpool are expressing an interest in Sander Berge but his talent would be wasted at Anfield. He’s effectively a Fabinho 2.0 but that’s exactly where the problem lies – there is only enough room for one player of the Brazilian’s ilk within the squad. Naturally, Liverpool may be tempted to move for the Norweigan in January during Fabinho’s absence, but that type of short-term thinking could be detrimental for the player’s development.
“At this stage in his career Berge needs to find a club who can guarantee him regular minutes, and Liverpool are unlikely to be able to offer that while the former Monaco metronome resides within the squad.”
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