Hoffenheim’s talented young defender Niklas Sule has turned down the chance to make a summer switch to Liverpool, choosing to remain in the Bundesliga where he feels he can better develop as a player, as reported by Bild (via the Express).
We’ve been heavily linked with a number of centre-backs this summer, and 20-year-old Sule looked like a superb option. He seems to believe that he might not get the game time he desires at Anfield though, insisting that he’d rather remain with Hoffenheim where he knows he has the faith of the manager.
“Here I have my usual environment, the proximity to my family in Frankfurt,” he said.
“To develop myself, I need playing time and a coach who trusts me. I have that in Julian Nagelsmann.
“He knows me well and knows where and how he can make me better.”
With Jurgen Klopp at the helm it seems likely that Sule would have the faith of the manager even if he did make a switch to the Premier League, as the former Bundesliga boss is clearly looking to bring in players he knows from his many years in Germany. He’s already signed Joel Matip and Loris Karius, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see more players arriving from Germany over the next couple of transfer windows.
While it’s obviously disappointing for us that Sule has turned down a summer switch, his reasoning is certainly admirable. This is the type of attitude you want all young players to have, and it’s how we’d want our young academy graduates to think at Liverpool.
There are plenty of other centre-back options out there, and Jurgen Klopp has presumably already identified a number of other targets.
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