An update has emerged on Liverpool and their pursuit of a new central defender to bolster the squad ahead of the 2023/24 campaign…
What’s the latest Liverpool transfer news?
According to Football Insider, the Reds are plotting a ‘new’ swoop to sign Torino centre-back Perr Schuurs during the summer transfer window as Jurgen Klopp eyes a fresh defensive option
The report claims that the Premier League giants are keen on securing a deal to bring the Dutch enforcer to Anfield over the coming weeks, with the interest dating back to his time at Ajax.
It states that the player would be open to ditching the Serie A side in favour of a move to Merseyside, which could give the English side encouragement.
Football Insider do not reveal how much Torino would demand for his services but it has previously been claimed by Italian media that a fee in the region of €40m (£34m) would be enough to get a deal done.
How old is Perr Schuurs?
The 6 foot 3 defender would arrive at Liverpool as Klopp’s youngest first-team centre-back option at the age of 23, with Ibrahima Konate, 24, currently holding that title.
Bringing in a young player in that position to push the first-choice stars – Konate and Virgil van Dijk – could be bad news for one of the other enforcers on the fringe of the team – Joe Gomez, who only started 15 league games last term
Journalist Ryan Taylor suggested to GIVEMESPORT earlier this summer that the club could be open to cashing in on the 26-year-old battler if they are able to replace him.
The arrival of Schuurs would provide the Reds with the opportunity to move him on if there is enough interest in the England international’s signature, which could put an end to his eight-year stay on Merseyside.
Despite being part of a Torino side that finished 10th in the Serie A, the former Netherlands U21 star showcased his ball-playing ability as a centre-back with 0.39 successful take-ons per 90, which placed him among the top 19% of players in his position across the Men’s Big Five Leagues and European competitions over the last 365 days.
The report claims that the Premier League giants are keen on securing a deal to bring the Dutch enforcer to Anfield over the coming weeks, with the interest dating back to his time at Ajax.
It states that the player would be open to ditching the Serie A side in favour of a move to Merseyside, which could give the English side encouragement.
Football Insider do not reveal how much Torino would demand for his services but it has previously been claimed by Italian media that a fee in the region of €40m (£34m) would be enough to get a deal done.
Whereas, Gomez, who played for fifth-placed Liverpool, only completed 0.20 per 90 and ranked within the 53rd percentile, which suggests that the colossal Dutch titan would offer more when it comes to bypassing the first phase of an opposition press by being able to dribble past forwards who are closing him down on the ball.
Schuurs, who journalist Josh Bunting once dubbed a “mountain”, has also averaged more tackles, blocks, and clearances per 90 over the last 365 days in comparison to the Reds defender, who averaged more interceptions and aerial battles won.
Along with that, Gomez completed more progressive passes per 90, although the Torino stopper could have more opportunities to progress the play with his passing in a team that is competing higher up in the table, as the Italian side held 53.3% possession on average, in comparison to Liverpool’s 60.6%.
The Dutch colossus is three years younger than the Englishman and Klopp could bring him in with the intention of helping the young talent to develop into a greater option than Gomez, given that the Serie A gem is already excelling above him in several areas.
This would, therefore, allow the German head coach to part ways with the former Charlton prospect, which is why the club’s interest in Schuurs is bad news for the 26-year-old dud.
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