Liverpool could beat Dortmund to 17-goal Roberto Firmino successor amid $8m transfer bid claim
With Jordan Henderson gone and Fabinho likely to follow him out of the door, Liverpool needs more midfielders. Then, when that is sorted out, Jörg Schmadtke needs to find another center-back.
Jürgen Klopp did not rule out adding another attacking player to his squad heading into the summer when he was asked about the priorities, but things have changed since then. A forward is the last thing that Liverpool needs right now despite the departure of Roberto Firmino on a free transfer.
That has not stopped a claim emerging about Liverpool making an offer for one, however. According to Foot Mercato, the Reds have proposed an $8m (£6m/€7m) deal to LASK for its Japanese winger, Keito Nakamura, with the 22-year-old going back to Austria for a season on loan as part of the arrangement.winger, Keito Nakamura, with the 22-year-old going back to Austria for a season on loan as part of the arrangement.arrangement.winger, Keito Nakamura, with the 22-year-old going back to Austria for a season on loan as part of the arrangement.
The Austrian Bundesliga may not be the most prestigious league in world football, but recently it has kick-started the career of the likes of Erling Haaland, Sadio Mané, Dominik Szoboszlai, and Karim Adeyemi.
Mostly, the Austrian league produces players from Red Bull Salzburg. It’s also where Liverpool has purchased from. But it’s not just Salzburg recently who has started to snap up talent. Nakamura is the latest sensation in the Austrian Bundesliga and it would be no bad thing for Liverpool to look to him.
The Telegraph’s Mike McGrath reported in March that Liverpool was interested in the exciting attacker, and has sent scouts to observe him throughout the season.
The Daily Mail reported last month that Borussia Dortmund and Aston Villa have joined Liverpool in the race for his signature, also adding: ‘As well as his elevation to becoming a full international, the loosening of the Governing Body Criteria (GBE) criteria for foreign players coming to England (making it easier to attain a visa) has improved his hopes of being able to secure a move to the Premier League should any of his suitors firm up their interest’.
Just 22 years old, Nakamura has just had a season where he scored 17 times and assisted eight. Currently plying his trade for LASK in Austria, he is ready for the next step.
Nakamura typically plays on the left wing for LASK, but in the past, he has also played on the right and in central areas as well which makes him fairly versatile in the mold of someone like Minamino. But comparisons with Minamino end there, because while the former Liverpool attacker was more technically gifted, Nakamura definitely is more explosive and more suited to playing in a typical Jürgen Klopp attack.
In general, Nakamura initially may only take on Minamino’s role in the squad at Anfield, which has also been left vacant since last summer, but he could have more longevity at the club because of his suitability to the way Klopp likes to play. As well as being explosive and excellent in one vs one situations, Nakamura is also a player who likes to defend from the front, and has good defensive numbers for an attacker.
The fact that he plays for LASK as well rather than Salzburg, who is able to command a much higher fee for its star players these days in comparison to the release clause Liverpool paid to land Minamino, would also give Liverpool an advantage. LASK’s record sale to date was $3.73m (£3.14/€3.5m). Nakamura will definitely exceed that with LASK wanting $12m (£9m/€11m).
That is a small sum, though, and this would therefore make him a smart choice for Liverpool. Sure, he won’t be able to produce the same quality as Firmino, but he will fill his slot in the squad and based on his performances could be quite a gem and a useful member of Klopp’s team.
At his age, even if the transfer doesn’t work out, Liverpool stands to make a profit just like the club did with Minamino. It’s a win-win situation for Liverpool that makes more sense than it first seems.
An original version of this article was first published on March 8.
