Liverpool could reportedly look outside the Premier League in their search for a defensive midfield replacement for Fabinho this summer.
According to Liverpool World, the Reds could move for Ibrahim Sangare of PSV Eindhoven, who has a release clause of €37m (£31.8m) which should be within the Merseysiders’ reach.
The Ivory Coast international could be targeted if Jurgen Klopp’s side continue to be frustrated in their pursuit of Romeo Lavia, having today seen a £37m offer rejected by Southampton (The Athletic).
Even if Liverpool ultimately manage to land the Belgian midfielder from the Saints, they ought to maintain an interest in Sangare, who could be an ideal target for a number of reasons.
At 25 and with more than 200 senior games under his belt (most of which have been in the Europa League, Ligue 1 or Eredivisie), he’s already quite experienced at a high level while just coming into his prime now and still having plenty of his career ahead of him.
He also comes out very favourably for a wide range of statistical metrics, as shown by FBref. He ranks among the top 15% of positional peers in Europe for non-penalty goals and xG, successful take-ons, progressive passes, clearances and aerial duels won.
This indicates a midfielder who’s well able to get stuck into the nitty-gritty of his role while also using the ball smartly and effectively when in possession, previously being dubbed ‘extraordinary’ by Dutch football analyst Aad de Mos (Sport Witness).
When looking at some of the prices reportedly being sought for defensive midfielders in the Premier League (£50m for Lavia, £70m for Cheick Doucoure), Sangare’s release clause of just under £32m represents tremendous value for a player who looks more than capable of excelling in England.
The focus for the next few days looks set to be on the Southampton youngster, but irrespective of the outcome of that pursuit, the Reds should give serious consideration to raiding PSV for Cody Gakpo’s former teammate.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones