Liverpool are the only Premier League side that is yet to spend this summer, despite Arne Slot's appointment to the dugout after nearly nine years of illustrious leadership from Jurgen Klopp.
As the window has dragged on, this has sent something of a frisson of fear through Anfield's hungry fanbase, with many seeing a talented squad that showed signs of overcoming Manchester City and Arsenal last season – ultimately falling short.
There is hope that the Reds will click into gear and launch a bid for an impactful addition in the next fortnight, especially with urgency around strengthening the base of midfield, but with Real Sociedad's Martin Zubimendi rejecting Richard Hughes' advances, there is plenty to do.
Should Liverpool sign an alternative this month, it has to be the right player. Luckily, there's a target out there who could be the perfect fit…
Liverpool transfer news
Zubimendi would have been an excellent signing, boasting the dynamic and athletic style to fit right into the focal area of the engine room.
Unfortunately, his Basque-born roots are strong, and pulling him away from San Sebastien is no easy task. Liverpool joined a list of high-profile suitors in failing to convince Zubimendi to leave his boyhood club for pastures new.
Still, the bosses remain hopeful that fresh faces might arrive before September, with one report from earlier in the week suggesting that Liverpool could move for Atalanta's Teun Koopmeiners.
As per Tutto Juve over in Italy, the Anfield side are interested in the Dutchman and could launch a £51m move – incidentally, a figure in the same ballpark as Zubimendi, suggesting such funds could be available.
Tuesday's report states that Liverpool are keen to take advantage of Koopmeiners' uncertain situation with the Europa League champions, for Juventus have been in hot pursuit and the player wants to leave, but the Old Lady are reluctant to meet the €60m (£51m) price tag.
Teun Koopmeiners' 2023/24 season in numbers
Liverpool are comfortably acquainted with Koopmeiners' qualities, with the Netherlands star playing an instrumental role in dispatching Klopp's boys in the Europa League quarter-final last year, en route to silver-laden victory over previously indomitable Bayer Leverkusen in the final.
Minutes played
90'
90'
Goals
0
0
Assists
0
0
Shots taken
4
3
Touches
42
42
Passes completed
15/20 (75%)
15/23 (65%)
Key passes
0
2
Dribbles completed
2/2
2/2
Tackles won
4
3
Ground duels won
6/11
6/15
The 26-year-old is a dynamic midfielder with a pleasing level of pliability that a tactician like Slot would jump at the chance to make use of.
On that note, Koopmeiners has actually operated under Slot's influence in the past, playing 58 fixtures for his countryman at AZ Alkmaar before signing for Atalanta for a sharp fee of €12m (£10m).
His manager, Piero Gian Gasperini, hailed his "very versatile" style in the middle of the park, scoring 15 goals and adding seven assists across 51 appearances last season, but a level of roundedness can be observed through his performances, with the underlying numbers confirming as much.
Indeed, as per Sofascore, the left-footed midfielder averaged 1.1 tackles and 4.4 ball recoveries per game in Serie A last year, with his energy and athleticism speaking of a ubiquitous presence that could be perfect for the fluency and forward drive of Slot's Liverpool.
Why Teun Koopmeiners could be perfect for Arne Slot
Creative on the ball, combative off the ball, predatory when moving to strike the ball – he's the complete package alright. Koopmeiners' ability to operate from deep and play the lanes with long, purposeful strokes suggests that he could hold the key to the kind of success Slot so craves.
As per FBref, the £32k-per-week ace ranks among the top 19% of positional peers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for passes attempted, the top 13% for progressive passes, the top 30% for tackles and the top 4% for clearances per 90.
A high volume of tackles made does not necessarily translate to high-level defending. After all, Zubimendi ranks only among the bottom 38% for tackles per 90 himself (as calculated across the same statistical parameters).
The Spanish Euro 2024 champion, moreover, is not actually the most progressive on the ball, completing just 0.5 key passes per La Liga fixture last year, despite only completing 86% of his passes. Koopmeiners, conversely, averaged 1.8 per match in Italy.
Slot may well have the tactical acumen to fashion Koopmeiners into a deep-lying orchestrator to enable the creative talent of Alexis Mac Allister and Co. Atalanta's influential star would perform the ball-playing duty in a Slot system well, and the prospect of a transfer across the closing weeks of the window must not be discounted.
Described as "one of the most intelligent players in Serie A" by analyst Ben Mattinson, the Netherlands international could even play a sort of double pivot alongside Mac Allister, melding skillsets to create a monstrous dynamic duo.
Liverpool's Argentinian maestro, in fact, completed 3.0 tackles per game last season and showcased first-rate defensive skills when shoehorned into a deeper-lying role than his creative self might have hoped for.
In twine, both players could be excellent, and FSG must seriously consider making their move and bolstering the engine room with another player of high-level quality, ensuring that supporters can swiftly forget about Zubimendi and his bitter rejection of a move to Merseyside.
Koopmeiners' prowess as a multi-functional midfielder might not feel like exactly what Liverpool need but there is a case to be made that his faculty for playing through the lanes and playing with defensive sharpness could be perfect for 'Slot-ball'.
The season ahead is clouded by a mist of uncertainty that hangs in front of Anfield, but with one or two impactful additions, the new era could be successful indeed.
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ByAngus Sinclair Aug 16, 2024