As much as there is a huge focus on Liverpool’s pursuit of Jude Bellingham, there is no guarantee that the club will be able to complete the deal. Competition will be fierce, and the money involved will be substantial.
Having missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni last summer, the Reds were satisfied to take on 2022/23 with their existing midfield options. It’s safe to say that looks a poor decision now. If they do miss out on Bellingham, Liverpool can’t afford to wait another year for whoever then becomes their top target.
According to Fabrizio Romano they may have their eyes on another Bundesliga midfielder, Kouadio ‘Manu’ Kone. “FC Bayern, Newcastle, PSG and also Liverpool (Bellingham remains their n1 priority) are well informed on Kone’s situation,” he tweeted. Yet while the natural assumption is that he might be an alternate to Bellingham, there’s reason to believe the 21-year-old could be an option in case another reported target doesn’t join the club.
READ MORE: Jude Bellingham transfer value emerges as Liverpool January bargain move 'confirmed'
READ MORE: Liverpool uncertainty continues as Joel Matip injury admission shows need for new partnership
As chance would have it, Kone and Bellingham came face to face in the last round of Bundesliga matches prior to the World Cup. While the latter got an assist, the former scored the final goal in a 4-2 win for Borussia Monchengladbach. It was a fine strike, but Kone’s record of three goals in 55 top flight appearances shows he doesn’t offer this threat on a regular basis.
He and Bellingham both play in the holding duo of their sides’ 4-2-3-1 formations. They even occupy opposite sides – at least they did in the aforementioned match – so could potentially work in tandem. Their stats are not too similar overall, though there are two for which they are in the top eight per cent of midfielders in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain over the last 365 days.
The two ‘Borussia’ players are both frequent dribblers, attempting around 3.5 every 90 minutes, with Kone the more successful of the pair. As both are unafraid to take on opposition players, this means that they both also draw more fouls than most of their positional peers. However, it’s interesting to note that FBRef’s scouting report lists Moises Caicedo among the 10 midfielders with whom Kone is most alike, with Bellingham not on the list.
The Brighton man has also been fairly heavily linked with Liverpool. He appears to be like Kone when it comes to the defensive side of the game. They have broadly similar numbers for interceptions and ball recoveries, with both being in the top 10 per cent of big league midfielders for the percentage of opposition dribblers that that they have tackled.
It’s wise to take Transfermarkt’s market values with a pinch of salt but they rate Kone as 13 million euros cheaper than Caicedo, even though both players were born in 2001 and have two years remaining on their current deals. That’s before we factor in that deals done within the Premier League tend to come at a premium too. The Monchengladbach midfielder may be a possibility for a role earmarked for Caicedo, rather than Bellingham, at Liverpool.
The Ecuadorian is another player well versed in the 4-2-3-1 system. Brighton manager Roberto De Zerbi has utilised it for his side’s last six league matches, and four of the five in which Caicedo started in the midfield duo were won.
Having experimented with formations other than the well-established 4-3-3 this season, Jurgen Klopp may be looking to move to the tactical framework with which he had so much success at Dortmund. Liverpool lined up 4-2-3-1 for their 1-0 win over Manchester City, their best result so far this season, so the manager knows it can work in the most difficult of matches.
But that’s all speculation for the future. What is without doubt is that the Reds are looking to target certain types of midfielder and Kone potentially fits the bill for both.
READ NEXT
- Liverpool uncertainty continues as Joel Matip injury admission shows need for new partnership
- FSG set to announce historic £275m deal that Liverpool fans will also want to see
- Roberto Firmino 'preference' as Liverpool transfer talks continue
- Jude Bellingham transfer value emerges as Liverpool January bargain move 'confirmed'
- Key member of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool backroom quietly moved to Manchester Utd
