1 Player Liverpool Should Be Looking at for 2016 January Transfer Window
It may be premature to stress the need for reinforcements so soon after the close of the transfer window, but Liverpool should be proactive in pursuing Marseille centre-back Nicolas N'Koulou ahead of a January move.
After making seven first-team signings this summer, Reds manager Brendan Rodgers can consider his squad in a much better condition than that which ended the 2014/15 season with a 6-1 loss away to Stoke City.
But it remains a work in progress, and further additions should be made this January.
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A move for N'Koulou would be a wise one, as the Cameroon international could solve a key problem area within Rodgers' starting lineup.
Nicolas N'Koulou
Plucked from Cameroon's Kadji Sports Academy by a pre-opulence AS Monaco in 2007, N'Koulou has been a mainstay in Ligue 1 ever since.
Taking up the No. 3 shirt for Monaco, N'Koulou featured in a squad that also included former Reds defender Djimi Traore, and the centre-back was one of few players to impress in what was a miserable 2010/11 season. Monaco were relegated after an 18th-place finish, and a scrap for N'Koulou's services ensued. That summer, Marseille became his home.
Since his move to the Stade Velodrome, N'Koulou has consistently proved to be a top-level defender.
Importantly, he is capable of performing the basics of the game to a high standard. N'Koulou can tackle, read the game intuitively and dominate in the air, averaging 2.2 successful tackles, 3.3 interceptions and 3.5 aerial duels won per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 last season.
But the 25-year-old is also notable for his composure in possession and passing ability. Assessing N'Koulou's qualities for FourFourTwo back in January, Sam Crocker highlighted this as a key aspect of his game:
"With a natural composure on the ball, panic is not a word you'll often see in the same sentence as N'Koulou's name.
It's something he has avoided since arriving in Europe; incredibly assured with the ball at his feet, he is a calming presence at the heart of the defence.
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Despite former Marseille manager Marcelo Bielsa adopting a high-tempo, attack-first style of play last season, N'Koulou completed 90.8 per cent of his passes, averaging 40.3 passes per 90 minutes. No Liverpool player registered a higher passing accuracy in 2014/15.
He's versatile and able to play across the defence and midfield, which should endear him to the flexibility-favouring Rodgers.
When he is on form, N'Koulou is the blueprint for the much-coveted ball-playing centre-back, and that he looks set to leave Marseille in the near future is a blow for new manager Michel.
Availability
Following Bielsa's resignation this summer, N'Koulou asked to leave Marseille.
That's according to Get French Football News, which cited beIN Sports, writing:
"There has been a distinct worry on behalf of Marseille representatives that [Bielsa's departure] might trigger a mass exodus of the senior players in the squad.
These fears have been confirmed after N’Koulou, who has agreed personal terms with Lyon, has allegedly asked to leave the club.
Lyon’s €9 million offer (€8 million and €1 million bonus) to Marseille remains on the table at the time of writing
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With Lyon seemingly valuing N'Koulou at just over £6.5 million and the defender looking to leave Marseille, Liverpool should be vying for his signature in January.
They may not be the only ones, however.
Get French Football News relayed word from Foot 365 at the end of August that Zenit Saint Petersburg had "made contact" with the player ahead of a proposed move to the Russian Premier League, with the outlet also suggesting Premier League relegation candidates Norwich City were plotting a move.
Simon Jones of the MailOnline also suggested Chelsea was a possible destination for the Cameroonian as Jose Mourinho desperately searched for defensive reinforcements this summer.
Though the Blues eventually signed Papy Djilobodji from Nantes and Michael Hector from Reading, neither represents a genuine solution to Mourinho's problems at the back.
Djilobodji was left out of Chelsea's Champions League squad, according to Sky Sports, while Hector returned to Reading on loan, with another dip into the transfer market likely as Mourinho searches for an heir for John Terry.
Spanish publication Marca also mooted Sevilla as a suitor if N'Koulou was made available for transfer.
The high volume of reported interest in N'Koulou likely stems not only from his undoubted talent but also the impending expiration of his contract with Marseille. With just nine months left on his current deal, according to Transfermarkt, N'Koulou represents a high-level acquisition available for a cut-price fee—great business for any trophy-challenging side and an opportunity Liverpool should not ignore.
Role at Liverpool
One of the major mistakes of Liverpool's summer transfer window was the failure to address a worrying deficiency in the centre of defence.
Confirming the extension of Martin Skrtel's contract in July, the club's official website detailed the Slovakian's mainstay status since arriving from Zenit in 2008, noting how he had "become an almost permanent fixture in Brendan Rodgers' defence," looking to "pass the 300 mark" for appearances this campaign.
Skrtel is a brutish, no-nonsense centre-back whose longevity under Rodgers is remarkable given the manager's favouring of finesse. The 30-year-old lacks the front-footed aggression Rodgers highlighted, in conversation with James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, as a key attribute required in his back line upon the arrival of Dejan Lovren last summer.
Instead, Skrtel is more likely to wait for moves to develop before intervening, with his penchant for the last-ditch tackle making him a highlight-reel favourite but an overall liability within a Premier League defence.
Though his partnership with Lovren heralded three consecutive clean sheets at the start of 2015/16, their error-strewn display in Liverpool's 3-0 loss at home to West Ham United before the international break recalled the many calamities of 2014/15—crucially, Skrtel lacks the authority to function effectively alongside the timid, confidence-sapped Lovren.
As This is Anfield's Henry Jackson suggested at the beginning of September, this contract extension—and Skrtel's continued presence in the Liverpool defence—should not be lauded:
"Those last-ditch slide tackles and brave headers may look heroic, but they are invariably called for because of a positional mistake in the first place.
It is the equivalent of a winger who can beat players but has no end product. Andros Townsend, if you will. It all looks impressive, but there is invariably no substance to it.
The time has come for Rodgers to consider life without Skrtel, although fortunately for him, Liverpool aren’t exactly brimming with quality replacements right now.
When he does finally leave Anfield, he will be remembered as someone who produced some impressive moments in a Liverpool shirt, but whose presence went hand-in-hand with the Reds’ leaky defence.
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One of the key objectives of the summer transfer window should have been identifying a replacement for Skrtel and a partner for Mamadou Sakho. Rodgers' persistence with the Skrtel-Lovren defensive axis could prove a fatal mistake this season.
The four-month stretch before the reopening of the transfer window in January could be a defining one for Liverpool's Eastern European pair, but if the Reds' defensive problems resurface after that most recent Anfield loss, Rodgers would be wise to look to dip into the market to reshape his back line.
N'Koulou represents the ideal partner for Sakho, with both able to marry defensive strength with progressive possession play.
With N'Koulou looking intent on leaving Marseille in the near future, Liverpool should monitor his availability—the Yaounde-born defender is the ideal solution to Rodgers' increasingly concerning structural issues.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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