10 Under-the-Radar Transfer Moves Liverpool Should Make in the Summer
With Liverpool likely to miss out on Champions League qualification through their Premier League placing this season, Brendan Rodgers may need to scope under the transfer-market radar for his summer signings.
Rodgers has already expressed this fear, as reported by the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) at the beginning of April.
"Liverpool is a phenomenal club that players want to play for, but, of course, players want to play at the top level of the game, and if you are not in the Champions League, it makes it difficult for you," he said.
So which under-the-radar signings can he target?
To qualify as under the radar, players considered must not have played Champions League football for their respective clubs this season, or look likely to play in the competition next season.
Players from clubs out of Europe's traditional top five leagues (the Premier League, Ligue 1, La Liga, the Bundesliga and Serie A) are also considered, due to their typically lower status.
Rounding off with Shakhtar Donetsk striker Luiz Adriano, which 10 under-the-radar transfer moves should Liverpool make this summer?
Mathew Ryan (Club Brugge)
1 of 10
First-choice goalkeeper for Club Brugge and Australia, Mathew Ryan was linked with a move to Liverpool back in January, by Chris Bascombe of The Telegraph.
"Liverpool are scouting the highly rated Australian No. 1 Matthew Ryan, as they consider a long-term solution for their goalkeeper problems," Bascombe wrote.
"There is no immediate prospect of a bid this month, but a potential summer move is under discussion."
This suggests that Ryan is in Rodgers' long-term transfer plans, and despite the improvement in form of Simon Mignolet—who was in a dire state in January—he would make a wise replacement for departing No. 2 Brad Jones.
Though slight in goalkeeping terms at just over 6'0", Ryan commands his box well, has strong reflexes and, as Bascombe attests, "is as adept with his feet as his hands."
Ryan could be a shrewd signing by Liverpool this summer, and a player Rodgers could mould into a fine sweeper-keeper.
Jetro Willems (PSV Eindhoven)
2 of 10
PSV Eindhoven left-back Jetro Willems burst onto the scene as the youngest player in the history of the European Championships, operating in his natural role for the Netherlands in their Group B defeat to Denmark at the 2012 competition aged just 18 years and 71 days, as reported by UEFA's official website.
While Willems has not quite developed as rapidly as his early impact perhaps suggested, the now-21-year-old has performed adeptly in a thriving PSV side this season.
Averaging 1.6 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per Eredivisie game this term, Willems' combined defensive contribution (3.9) trumps that of regular Reds left-back Alberto Moreno (3.3).
Furthermore, with a remarkable tally of 12 assists for the 2014/15 season, Willems is clearly able to provide in an attacking sense as well as defensively.
This is compounded by his average of 2.6 key passes per game, more than any Liverpool player this season.
Still relatively under the radar despite PSV's league success this term, Willems could provide healthy competition for Moreno, who has hardly felt Jose Enrique's breath on the back of his neck this term.
Kieran Trippier (Burnley)
3 of 10
Right-back has been a problem area for much of the season, and with Glen Johnson's contract set to expire at the end of the season, and on-loan Spaniard Javier Manquillo not having started a league game for the club in 2015, Rodgers should strengthen this area in the summer.
With Burnley currently struggling in the league, it is likely that the pick of their top players will be available come the end of the season, and 24-year-old Kieran Trippier is perhaps the Clarets' best player.
Averaging 1.9 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per league game this season, Trippier's combined defensive contribution (four) is higher than all but Manquillo in terms of Liverpool full-backs this term.
The former Manchester City youngster's defining quality, however, is his creativity.
He averages 1.7 key passes and 2.3 crosses per league game.
Only Everton's Leighton Baines makes more key passes (2.3) of the Premier League's full-backs, while only West Ham United's Stewart Downing has averaged more crosses of any player in the top flight.
Persevering with Manquillo would be preferable, and the signing of Trippier will hardly appease the Reds' deflated supporters, but the Burnley right-back would be an astute acquisition.
Juan Jesus (Inter Milan)
4 of 10
While Inter Milan have toiled for much of 2014/15, one of their most impressive performers has remained centre-back Juan Jesus.
The 23-year-old Brazil international is an imposing, physical prospect, and he has averaged 3.5 tackles and 2.8 interceptions per Serie A game this season so far—more than any Liverpool centre-back.
Furthermore, with an average of 60.5 passes per game, and an accuracy of 86.6 percent, Jesus represents a composed player in possession.
He is capable of performing in a left-back role when required but would perhaps be best suited to the central sweeper position if Rodgers was to continue with a back-three defensive system next season—failing that, Jesus would be an able deputy to the masterful Mamadou Sakho at left centre-back.
Jesus has struggled to form a partnership with either Nemanja Vidic or Andrea Ranocchia this season, but he has still made 26 league appearances for Inter.
Inter are set to finish the season in mid-table and, if Jesus was set on jumping ship in the summer, Liverpool could do a lot worse than this malleable prospect.
Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord)
5 of 10
As Liverpool's 2-1 loss to Aston Villa in Sunday's FA Cup semi-final showed, Rodgers side lacks a consistently fit midfielder who can provide defensive quality.
With Lucas Leiva injured once again for that clash, as reported by James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, the Reds were overrun by the energetic Fabian Delph, with neither Jordan Henderson, Joe Allen nor Steven Gerrard rising to counter the Villa captain.
In the summer, this area must be made top priority, and an ideal solution here would be Jordy Clasie.
The Feyenoord man was linked, by Alex Crook of the Mirror, with a move to Southampton earlier this season, and Rodgers should take his cues from shrewd Saints boss Ronald Koeman here.
Clasie, 23, has averaged 2.6 tackles and 2.1 interceptions per Eredivisie game this season, more than any Reds midfielder other than the fragile Lucas, but, more crucially, he is a more dynamic option than the Brazilian, and he has made more key passes per league game (1.4) than all but four Liverpool players.
He has translated this creativity into five assists this season, too, which would make him the Reds' third-best creative outlet this term.
Clasie would be an economical signing for Rodgers, with great upside to boot.
Ki Sung-Yueng (Swansea City)
6 of 10
With the departure of Gerrard this summer, Liverpool could look to add some more depth, composure and, perhaps most importantly, a goal threat from midfield in the upcoming transfer window.
Establishing himself as a key player for Swansea City manager Garry Monk in 2014/15 after returning from a bizarrely sanctioned loan move to Sunderland last season, Ki Sung-Yueng is one of the Premier League's most underrated midfielders.
In 30 league games this season, Ki has scored seven goals—matching the total of Liverpool's highest league scorer, Raheem Sterling.
Ki is also an assured player in possession, averaging 55.2 passes per game at an average accuracy of 89.7 percent. He rarely puts a foot wrong.
The 26-year-old South Korean would be a great, ready-made addition to Rodgers' squad.
Jordan Veretout (FC Nantes)
7 of 10
With Rodgers often favouring youthful signings in his time as Liverpol manager, 22-year-old FC Nantes midfielder Jordan Veretout could represent a tempting prospect this summer.
Able to play as a central midfielder or a No. 10, Veretout is a blossoming creative outlet.
With two key passes per Ligue 1 game on average this season, Veretout would be the second-highest creator of chances in the 2014/15 Liverpool squad, behind only Sterling (2.1).
This has translated into assists, too, with the No. 25 notching a tally of five so far this term in 31 games.
Veretout is also a regular goal threat, with six conversions from those 31 appearances.
With great potential to develop under Rodgers, the Nantes man would be a low-risk signing this summer, and he could bolster the Liverpool midfield for years to come.
Kevin Volland (Hoffenheim)
8 of 10
Liverpool's major concern this season has been a lack of goals, with a tally of just 47 compared to the 101 scored in 2013/14.
This has stemmed from both midfield and attack, and Rodgers must add to his squad with this in mind this summer. With the midfield in mind, Hoffenheim winger Kevin Volland would be a perfect target.
With six goals and five assists in 28 Bundesliga appearances this term, across 2,310 minutes of play, Volland boasts a higher goal-contribution-to-minutes ratio (210) than all but four Liverpool players.
At just 22, he has great potential to develop this, too.
Interestingly, Liverpool were reportedly monitoring Volland back in 2013, along with Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur, according to Jim Hughes of the Mirror.
Responding to this report, Bleacher Report's Allan Jiang wrote at the time that: "Volland is an elite inverted winger, but with his characteristics, moving him from the right to the No. 9 position might see him transition into a Miroslav Klose-type striker."
Jiang then surmised that staying at Hoffenheim would be "beneficial for his development."
Having continued his progress this term, however, perhaps this summer could be the right time for Volland to move and make that transition, helping to support the ailing Daniel Sturridge.
Hiroshi Kiyotake (Hannover 96)
9 of 10
Another fine addition from the Bundesliga would be Hannover 96 midfielder Hiroshi Kiyotake—a highly versatile 25-year-old.
Kiyotake has scored four goals and made five assists in 28 games this season, largely operating as a left-winger or a No. 10. He has made an average of two key passes per league game and 1.8 dribbles per game on average, too, which is less than only Sterling (3.1), Phillipe Coutinho (3.0) and Jordon Ibe (2.3).
A confident, cultured midfielder, Kiyotake would add much to Rodgers' squad.
Having spent just the one season with Hannover, however, after a move from 1. FC Nurnberg, the Japanese midfielder may be difficult to prise from his current club.
But of players operating at the rung below those perhaps out of Liverpool's reach this summer, he would be a standout target this summer.
Luiz Adriano (Shakhtar Donetsk)
10 of 10
Finding and acquiring players capable of consistently scoring 20 goals a season is a difficult task in itself, but Rodgers' clear specification of the hard-working, pacey, dynamic forward of the ilk of Sturridge and Luis Suarez makes it an even harder search.
The failure of current forwards Mario Balotelli, Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini clearly attests to that.
Rodgers may have a bankable option, however, in Shakhtar forward Adriano, who shone so brightly in the Champions League this season.
Across just 24 games in Europe and the Ukrainian Premier League, Adriano has notched 17 goals—a fearsome tally.
Adriano also boasts the pace, movement and endeavour that would endear him to both Rodgers and the Anfield faithful.
At 28, Adriano is older than the average Rodgers signing, but his goals could be invaluable next season.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
