Liverpool interested in Real Madrid reject
Liverpool are planning a summer swoop for Danilo
Evidently Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp believes he can succeed where Zinedine Zidane has failed. Liverpool are contemplating a summer move for Real Madrid reject Danilo.
In fairness to the Brazilian right back, reports of his poor play have been greatly exaggerated. While Danilo has certainly had some poor matches this season, overall he’s been passable. His Whoscored.com player rating average of 7.12 in nine La Liga matches is a very respectable total.
Even so, it’s not surprise that he’s going to move away from Los Blancos in the summer. What is a bit surprising, is that Liverpool might be his destination. Calciomercato are reporting that the Reds are contemplating a £25 million pound move for him this summer.
No doubt, Liverpool fans reading this are wondering why Klopp would pay such a fee for a second choice right back. The reality is that the German manager believes Danilo might be better suited as a midfielder. In that context, £25 million seems like a much more reasonable investment.
Klopp’s squad currently is great going forward, but can struggle to defend. The majority of that blame has been placed at the feet of his struggling back four. That criticism is justified, but some of the blame should go to the club’s unbalanced midfield as well.
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Currently, Klopp usually deploys one defensive midfielder flanked by two attacking midfielders in his middle three. That sort of setup looks great at times, but can really struggle to shield the back four. Adding a player like Danilo to the mix would give Liverpool a lot more tactical flexibility. His inclusion would give the squad a legitimate two-way midfielder to play next to the likes of Emre Can or Jordan Henderson in the middle.
I’m still not sure Danilo is worth the quoted transfer fee though. He’s struggled mightily to adapt to the limelight at Real Madrid. It’s not as if moving to Liverpool is going to afford him stress-free football. Perhaps the pressure will seem tame compared to life in Madrid, but the pressures of Anfield could overwhelm him as well.
Next: Real Madrid star set for City move
Jurgen Klopp has the right idea in purchasing a player like Danilo, but he’d be better served to pick a different two-way midfielder. Preferably, he can purchase one with a little more mental toughness.