Why Liverpool Would Be Unwise to Cancel Javier Manquillo's Loan This Summer
Reports on Thursday suggested that Liverpool right-back Javier Manquillo's two-year loan deal at the club could be terminated this summer, which would see him return to parent club Atletico Madrid. But the Reds would be truly unwise to let the 21-year-old go.
As Andy Hunter of the Guardian reported: "Manquillo’s Liverpool career may be brought to a premature end as a result of Nathaniel Clyne’s arrival at Anfield from Southampton for £12.5 million."
He continued:
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"Despite the departure of Glen Johnson and Jon Flanagan’s injury problems, the club are considering releasing the Spanish youngster midway through his loan deal. Andre Wisdom, another rival for Manquillo’s position, recently signed a new four-year contract at Anfield.
Liverpool need to reach agreement with both Manquillo and Atletico to end the defender’s stay this summer and have not reached that stage yet.
But the exit of the Under-21 Spain international is being explored as Liverpool, having made six signings so far this summer, look to trim the squad.
"
The signing of Nathaniel Clyne does shore up the right-back position that has been such a problem area for Liverpool in recent seasons.
But letting Manquillo go as a result of this acquisition would be a mistake, as he is a talent too bright to cast off.
Javier Manquillo
Manquillo signed at the beginning of August 2014 off the back of a season disrupted by a serious vertebrae injury and represented an astute acquisition by manager Brendan Rodgers in a summer that looked full of them.
Manquillo joined fellow Spaniard Alberto Moreno, Emre Can, Lazar Markovic, Adam Lallana, Dejan Lovren, Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli in a new-look Reds squad packed with youth and potential.
The prospect of he and left-back Moreno operating on opposite defensive flanks was an intriguing one.
This is clearly something Rodgers felt, as he told the club's official website in September 2014, following an impressive start to the season for the pair:
"Both were brought in because they can defend. Young Javi at right-back is only 20 years of age, but he's like a rash. He's all over attackers and he's hard to beat. He gets forward well and he wants to create.
Young Alberto Moreno is the same. He's 22 years of age. He can defend. He's quick on the recovery and I think everyone has seen his pace and his quality going forward.
"
As such, Rodgers surely knew what he was getting when he signed Manquillo.
He even described him as "the type of full-back I like" following the Reds' pre-season win over Borussia Dortmund, according to Neil Jones of the Liverpool Echo.
He produced a string of consistently impressive, restrained defensive performances for Liverpool in the first half of 2014/15, averaging more interceptions (2.6) and crosses blocked (1.3) and conceding fewer fouls per 90 minutes (0.2) than any other Reds player.
Only one player, defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva (5.3), made more tackles on average per game than Manquillo (3.8).
The Spaniard even contributed effectively in attacking areas, putting in a standout display in the Reds' best team performance of the season—the 4-1 win at home to Swansea City at the end of December—ensuring a fluid forward charge from the right flank with a series of overlapping runs, operating as a wing-back in a 3-4-2-1.
But this changed following that game: Manquillo didn't start in the Premier League again after that victory, and he only made three more appearances before the season's end.
Rodgers attributed this to his wing-back-reliant system change in a conversation with the Liverpool Echo's James Pearce back in May, and the Reds have now moved to strengthen their right-back ranks with the £12.5 million acquisition of Clyne.
But Manquillo's shunt to the periphery remains a mystery—why let him go when he performed so comfortably throughout 2014?
Nathaniel Clyne and Liverpool's Right-Back Situation
As former Reds right-back Rob Jones detailed in discussion with Chris Beesley of the Liverpool Echo, the signing of Clyne does effectively solve Liverpool's right-sided defensive problems.
"Defensively Nathaniel seems superb. His strength is his defensive work," Jones said. "It seems obvious but it’s not always the case with modern full-backs. He has little bits going forward too and he seems to have everything."
Clyne, 24, is the all-round right-back that Liverpool hoped they were signing when Glen Johnson moved to Merseyside for a BBC Sport-reported fee of £17.5 million in 2009.
Jones continued: "As full-backs go he’s got the full package. Some are good at defending but can’t go forward but from what I’ve seen of Nathaniel, he appears to have everything and I've been impressed with the way he times his tackles. ... We need a bit of consistency in the full-back positions."
The last part is definitely true. Rodgers utilised three different players—Manquillo, Johnson and Emre Can—at right-back last term, as well as a further five—Lazar Markovic, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana, Jordon Ibe and Raheem Sterling—in a more advanced right wing-back role.
But this represents a tactical obscurity that blots Rodgers' 2014/15 campaign. It is impossible to pinpoint just why the manager opted to play so many different players out of position last term.
"We’ve tried a lot of different players in the full-back positions in recent seasons but none of them could be said to have fully succeeded," Jones concluded. "It's hard to say why it hasn’t worked out for some of them."
It may be difficult to say, but it is certainly Rodgers imposed.
Clyne, who made 35 Premier League appearances for Southampton last season, should represent a season-long regular in that right-back position, but as Hunter noted, Manquillo's impending departure is arguably more to do with Andre Wisdom signing a new contract after spending last season on loan with West Bromwich Albion.
But who is the better option to deputise for Clyne: Manquillo or Wisdom?
Javier Manquillo or Andre Wisdom?
Like Manquillo, Wisdom endured a hit-and-miss season in 2014/15.
Under the management of Alan Irvine, the Englishman enjoyed considerable game time as West Brom's first-choice right-back.
He played the full 90 minutes in 21 of the Baggies' first 22 games of the season, only missing the team's clash against Liverpool because of the terms of his loan agreement—he was, for all intents and purposes, one of Irvine's key players. He initially continued to be so under Tony Pulis when he took over from Irvine at the Hawthorns in January.
That quickly changed, however, following a disastrous performance in West Brom's 3-0 home loss at the hands of Tottenham Hotspur.
Wisdom was mercilessly exploited by star Spurs performer Christian Eriksen, who lined up opposite him in a left-sided attacking-midfield role.
Eriksen made four successful dribbles, two key passes and was dispossessed just once. He was named Man of the Match, while Wisdom's withdrawal on 60 minutes was cheered by his own supporters.
Like Manquillo, Wisdom made just a handful of appearances in the second half of the season, playing just 20 minutes in the Premier League after that Spurs humiliation.
Was the defence-favouring Pulis right to drop Wisdom? Comparing him to Manquillo suggests so.
(All statistics via WhoScored.com and, barring games played, are all averaged per 90 Premier League minutes.)
Defensively, Manquillo is statistically superior to Wisdom, and in terms of attacking work, there is no significant difference between the two.
Manquillo is a well-rounded full-back with the potential to grow into a top-level talent—letting him go, particularly by replacing him with Wisdom, would be a bemusing move by the Liverpool hierarchy.
Wisdom does have homegrown status and a longstanding link with the club going in his favour—having joined 2008—but given the Guardian's Hunter revealed there is a £5 million buyout fee in Manquillo's deal, could the Reds not make his move permanent rather than reward a middling talent like Wisdom?
At 21, Manquillo could comfortably perform as Clyne's deputy, moving into a regular role in the future.
Liverpool would be making a mistake by letting him go this summer.
Statistics via WhoScored.com and LFCHistory.net.
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