In the transfer rumour game, there can definitely be smoke without fire. Stories can be reported across multiple outlets yet never feel like they have a shred of plausibility to them.
But there are some links which linger long enough to make you think there could be something in them. Most clubs have them, that player who is always on the verge of joining them but often never does for some reason.
Liverpool have had a few over the years, and one of the current darlings of the Reds’ transfer rumour mill is Florian Neuhaus. Early in 2021, Emile Heskey suggested the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder could give the side something they lacked. Then last summer, the Echo reported that Liverpool ‘expressed an interest’ in the player.
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The story may have been kept alive by the 25-year-old’s refusal to dismiss the possibility. "I'm a person who likes to dare. I could very well imagine going abroad,” said Neuhaus, when quizzed about the interest that Liverpool and Bayern Munich supposedly held in him.
According to Fichajes futbol, it’s now Real Madrid with whom the Reds will have to compete for the German international’s signature. It seems battles between the 2022 Champions League finalists to sign talented midfielders are becoming very common. First it was Aurelien Tchouameni, who chose Spain, then it was Jude Bellingham ( destination TBC ) and now Neuhaus.
It would be too easy for the clubs to simply decide to take one each of the latter pair next summer, but it would certainly make sense in many ways. Per FBRef, Bellingham is one of the 10 midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues to whom Neuhaus is most similar statistically.
Over the last two seasons, Bellingham has had an edge in most of the key attacking statistics, though some of the gap between the players is to be expected. Borussia Dortmund have finished second and third in the last two campaigns, where Neuhaus’ Monchengladbach have been 10 th and eighth respectively. With his side having an average of 6.6 percent more possession across the last two years, Bellingham will have had more opportunities to influence proceedings offensively.
Perhaps the most interesting aspect of Neuhaus’ data is that it shows the evolution within his game. Per Understat, his rate of expected assists per 90 minutes has dropped with each season he has spent in the German top division. From 0.14 in 2018/19, down through 0.12 the following campaign, 0.10 in 2020/21 and finally 0.09 last season. This is obviously not the direction in which you want to see a young player’s statistics heading.
But his game has changed. When Heskey suggested he could be what Liverpool were looking for, it was because he was excellent at getting the ball up field with intent.
In 2020/21, Neuhaus was seventh in the Bundesliga for progressive carries and fifth for progressive passes. If you needed the ball moving forward in the attacking 60 percent of the pitch or into the box, he was your man.
His figures for both metrics dropped off last season but there were gains elsewhere. His rate for tackles, interceptions, blocks and pressures all rose in 2021/22. This may be in part due to his side having a worse season than they had the year before, though this at least demonstrates he has those skills in his locker.
And despite this shift, Neuhaus was still in the top five percent of big league midfielders for shots and non-penalty expected goals. He still carried an attacking threat, just in a slightly different way.
As Bellingham looks to have the higher ceiling, there’s every chance he would be Liverpool’s preferred option. He will command a much higher fee and have more illustrious suitors as well though. That’s not to say the Reds are out of the running for the England international but it would behove them to have an alternate option. Neuhaus looks like he could be the player for the task.
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