SOURCES: Liverpool Unlikely To Move For £44m Teun Koopmeiners In January Window
Liverpool are unlikely to pursue a move for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners within this transfer window, despite reports suggesting otherwise. The Reds are currently top of the club and had plans to strengthen in the summer before the signing of Wataru Endo. Jurgen Klopp’s men have made some top signings in the January window recently, with Cody Gakpo and Virgil Van Dijk two massive examples of the window working for the club.
At this stage, Koopmeiners has been linked to Liverpool for several years, but it has never progressed more than rumours. A defensive midfielder remains a long-term target for the club, with Endo viewed as more of a stop-gap in between. Despite that, the Japanese captain has performed admirably at the club and has quickly become a fan favourite.
Liverpool Unlikely To Move For Koopmeiners In January:
We understand a Liverpool are highly unlikely to move for Teun Koopmeiners in January. A summer move cannot be ruled out due to the interest the English club has in the player, but there is not expected to be any sort of movement between now and the end of the window at this stage.
The Reds are of course a club who usually move in silence, and can concoct a deal in a matter of moments, but the signs up until today are that they have no intentions of making a move for the Dutch midfielder. The 25-year-old has a current market value of £37m, which is definitely within the range Liverpool likes to shop at.
Reports are suggesting that Liverpool are preparing to table a £44m bid for the midfielder, but there are no indications as we understand that something like that is currently imminent.
How Good Is Koopmeiners?
Koopmeiners is a talented young player who operates best in the defensive side of the midfield. One of his best attributes is his ability on the ball, which is key in a Jurgen Klopp three-man midfield system. Liverpool’s midfield has seen a complete overhaul last summer and the likes of Dominick Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister have allowed them to reach new heights in the title race. They still lack a true defensive midfielder though, and that is something Koopmeiners is that the others are not.
When compared to Liverpool’s three choices at defensive midfield this season however, the midfielder doesn’t exactly stand out The Dutchman averages 6.19 progressive passes per 90 minutes, significantly more than Curtis Jones, Alexis Mac Allister and Waturu Endo have managed so far this campaign. His completion rate however is the lowest of the three, which is something that will have to improve if he is to sign for the Premier League side.
Defensively is likely to be why Klopp is looking to sign the 25-year-old, but he does have the lowest tackle percentage win rate out of the three players, winning just 37.1% of his tackles. He also wins less tackles per game (1.36).
Jurgen Klopp may feel that he has enough from the current midfield options to get his side over the line until the summer, and if this was a Moneyball operation the statistics suggest the current crop of players at his disposal are better options for his side than the Atalanta midfielder. The interest has been there previously, but the quality performances of Wataru Endo this season means the likelihood of this transfer was always low, and our sources have suggested nothing is suggesting Liverpool are currently preparing a move for his services.
The Reds will be hopeful of going into the summer window as Premier League champions, and they are expected to spend big within that window for a defensive midfielder
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