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da pixbet： This article is part of Football FanCast’s Pundit View series, which provides opinion and analysis on recent quotes from journalists, pundits, players and managers…
The Athletic’s James Pearce has admitted he would be surprised if Liverpool aren’t keeping tabs on Bayer Leverkusen’s Kai Havertz.
What did he say?
The Bundesliga midfielder broke into the first-team in 2016/17 but last season was his most effective yet, and he showed what a fantastic player he could become in the future.
He scored 17 and assisted four in 34 league appearances, and has broken numerous records already in his short career. He is Leverkusen’s youngest ever player and goalscorer, and also became the youngest player to reach 50 Bundesliga appearances in 2018.
If there is one area which Jurgen Klopp’s side could improve on it is their lack of creativity in midfield, with regulars Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum accumulating just eight assists between them last term.
It is likely that the Germans would drive a hard bargain for a 20-year-old with three years left on his contract, but that is unlikely to deter interest in him.
Speaking in a Q&A for The Athletic, Pearce said: “In terms of Havertz, he’s a big talent. Not heard him mentioned at this stage but would be amazed if LFC aren’t watching him closely.”
The Reds signed only one senior player this summer so saved millions in possible expenditure, which could be instead focused on a target like Havertz in the future, with the player himself stating he may look to move next summer.
Big impact
Havertz played well throughout the last campaign and was the main source of Leverkusen’s attacking threat, his winning of the Player of the Month awards for April and May showcasing that.
He finished the campaign with a flurry of goals – seven in his last six games – and if he shows that consistency this year it is only a matter of time before the top clubs in Europe come knocking.
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Liverpool lack a goalscoring threat from midfield currently and can be too reliant on their front three, whilst draws with teams playing defensive football – such as away matches West Ham and Manchester United – was what cost them the league title last season.
That could change if the attacking midfielder was brought in. He gets into goalscoring positions and would provide another threat for the opposition to deal with, opening up space for Liverpool’s other players.
He will likely know all about Jurgen Klopp too and that could give the Reds the upper hand in any potential transfer battle, and as Pearce suggests it would be surprising if he is not already on their radar.
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