5 Players Liverpool Should Target from Euro 2016
Signing a new six-year contract with Liverpool in the second week of July, as relayed by the club's official website, Jurgen Klopp committed his future to developing the Reds in the same vein as his former clubs, Borussia Dortmund and Mainz 05—the German spent seven years in the dugout for both of those teams.
Taking over in October, Klopp has already overseen a significant change in fortunes on Merseyside, leading Liverpool to two finals—in the Capital One Cup and the UEFA Europa League—and he will be looking to build for success in his first pre-season this summer.
TOP NEWS
Madrid Fines Players $590K 😲
'Mbappé Out' Petition Gaining Steam 😳
Star-Studded World Cup Ad 🤩
But hampered by the involvement of 12 of his players at this summer's UEFA European Championship in France, Klopp is left waiting for their return, with Emre Can the final player to exit the tournament following Germany's semi-final defeat to the hosts on Thursday.
When the likes of Can, Joe Allen, Jordan Henderson and Daniel Sturridge return from three weeks' holiday, Klopp is likely to still find holes in his squad—despite the addition of four players already this summer.
Liverpool Arrivals, Summer 2016
- Marko Grujic, £5.1 million, from Red Star Belgrade
- Joel Matip, free, from Schalke
- Loris Karius, £4.7 million, from Mainz
- Sadio Mane, £30 million, from Southampton
Historically, signing players on the back of a successful international tournament is not a foolproof scenario, and with Klopp targeting Leicester City left-back Ben Chilwell, Udinese midfielder Piotr Zielinski and Borussia Monchengladbach youngster Mahmoud Dahoud this summer, according to Goal's Melissa Reddy, it is clear this is something the 49-year-old is aware of.
However, there remained a number of promising, and potentially attainable, talents on show at Euro 2016 this summer—and more to come in the final between Portugal and France—with some of these representing ideal targets for Liverpool.
Here are five players from Euro 2016 whom Liverpool should target, with a focus on both club and international performances.
Jonas Hector (Germany)
Klopp's pursuit of Chilwell is likely designed to provide competition for first-choice left-back Alberto Moreno, but while the 19-year-old is a strong prospect, whether his impact would have the immediate effect is questionable—having made just 11 senior appearances in his career to date.
If Klopp is looking for a player who can move in and challenge Moreno from the off, targeting Germany left-back Jonas Hector would be a wise move.
Hector was first linked with the Reds by German publication Bild (h/t ESPN) in March, with the Mirror's David Maddock later suggesting that the 26-year-old could leave FC Cologne for around £12 million.
A 6'1", versatile defender who made 32 Bundesliga appearances for Cologne in 2015/16, Hector has established himself as a regular in Joachim Low's Germany squad due to his defensive quality and crossing ability.
Hector played every minute of Germany's Euro 2016 campaign this summer, laying on Mesut Ozil's goal and scoring the decisive penalty in their quarter-final shootout victory over Italy, prompting an endorsement from This is Anfield's Henry Jackson:
If Hector is available for the reported £12 million, Liverpool should switch their focus from Chilwell and target a prime-age left-back capable of shining in the Premier League from his first outing.
Mattia De Sciglio (Italy)
Another potential left-back target for Liverpool this summer could be Italy's Mattia De Sciglio, who took up a key role in Antonio Conte's 3-5-2 formation in France.
De Sciglio has been a regular in the AC Milan first team since 2012/13, despite still being just 23 years old, and he is capable of performing to a high standard at both left- and right-back.
This is a factor that would likely endear him to Klopp, who told the Press Association (h/t This is Anfield) in February that he was looking to build "a squad where you can play different systems and react to different situations."
Where Hector is largely defensive-minded as a full-back, De Sciglio is more adept in the attacking sector, operating as a wing-back under Conte this summer—however, he is still capable of providing steel at the back when required.
De Sciglio has already garnered interest from Napoli this summer, though speaking at a press conference in July, as relayed by ESPN FC, Milan chief executive Adriano Galliani insisted that they had "swiftly" turned down their offer.
According to the BBC, club owner Silvio Berlusconi claims to have sold Milan to a Chinese consortium, but with the club posting a loss of around £80 million last year, their finances remain in doubt at this stage.
If Milan are forced to sell their most high-profile talents, Liverpool could take advantage with a move for De Sciglio.
Radja Nainggolan (Belgium)
Chelsea's interest in Belgian defensive midfielder Radja Nainggolan was quashed as the 28-year-old exited the tournament at the quarter-final stage, with Sky Sports reporting word from the player following positive talks with AS Roma sporting director Walter Sabatini.
"I met with Sabatini and everything went well," he said, before adding rather conclusively: "I am staying at Roma."
This is unlikely to deter Chelsea in the transfer market, but it should serve as a warning sign for Conte as he builds a squad worthy of challenging for the Premier League title in his first season at Stamford Bridge.
However, with Nainggolan a top-level talent in a crucial role in the midfield, he is worth pursuing despite his claims of commitment to Luciano Spalletti's side—and while he may be something of a fantasy target for Liverpool, he is exactly the calibre of player Klopp requires to stabilise his midfield.
Liverpool Defensive Midfielders Since 2010
- Lucas Leiva
- Jay Spearing
- Christian Poulsen
- Conor Coady
- Jordan Rossiter
- Kevin Stewart
Since Javier Mascherano's move from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2010, the Reds have been lacking a snarling, tough-tackling shield ahead of their defensive line, with regular fixture Lucas Leiva's poor timing and diminishing mobility making him a meagre replacement.
Nainggolan, who also showcased his goalscoring ability with two fine strikes at Euro 2016, is capable of filling the void left by Mascherano, and while he may not be a realistic target this summer, Klopp would be sensible to keep the former Cagliari man on his transfer radar.
Bartosz Kapustka (Poland)
Klopp's four new arrivals this summer, Grujic (20), Matip (24), Karius (22) and Mane (24), have showcased an emphasis on youth in the German's transfer plans, and if this is to continue, a rising star from Poland's Euro 2016 campaign would be an excellent target.
Bartosz Kapustka made four appearances for Adam Nawalka's side in France, including two starts as they went unbeaten in the group stages, drawing considerable praise from former England striker Gary Lineker:
As Lineker attests, Kapustka is an exceptionally talented young player who, at 19, looked unfazed by the pressure of a top-level international tournament—a confidence that has extended to his time with Cracovia Krakow so far, making 63 appearances for the Ekstraklasa club since his debut in 2014.
A fleet-footed wide player who looks to take on opposition defenders with the ball at his feet, Kapustka possesses an X-factor that suggests he could star at the top level in the coming years, while still performing with the humility and work rate required to shine in Klopp's heavy-pressing system.
Klopp enjoyed the fruits of one Polish winger during his time at Borussia Dortmund, with Jakub Blaszczykowski—now 11 years Kapustka's senior—establishing a key role on the right flank under the 49-year-old during their time together at the Westfalenstadion.
Kapustka could emulate this success if he left Krakow for Merseyside, and with Klopp hoarding young talent this summer, a move for the youngster would bolster his attacking ranks further.
Emil Forsberg (Sweden)
Sweden's Euro 2016 campaign trickled to a disappointing end in the group stages, including defeats to Belgium and Italy, prompting new Manchester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic to announce his retirement from international football—subsequently spiralling the nation's future prospects into turmoil.
A lack of quality surrounding Ibrahimovic at this summer's tournament contributed significantly to their demise, but while Red Bull Leipzig midfielder Emil Forsberg was among those struggling to impress in France, his performances for the newly promoted Bundesliga side deserve recognition.
Forsberg is a goalscoring winger capable of operating on either the left or the right flank, but also in the middle of the park, and can be compared to Zielinski in terms of mobility and tidy passing ability. Scoring eight goals and laying on seven assists in 32 league games in 2015/16, Forsberg helped fire Leipzig to the German top flight.
Liverpool were linked with a move for the 24-year-old in January, with Simon Jones of the Mail suggesting that Forsberg was "subject of an enquiry" from the Reds—but Leipzig were quick to reject this, and he signed a new contract with the club a month later.
But while he may opt to remain at the Red Bull Arena this summer, Klopp should revisit his interest in Forsberg, as he is a young talent following a swift trajectory to the top.
Statistics via Transfermarkt.co.uk and WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
