Jürgen Klopp is being linked with a laundry list of midfielders in the transfer market right now, and many of them seem to have one curious thing in common. Simply put, the players Liverpool is rumored to be tracking nearly all tend to favor the left side of the pitch.
Khéphren Thuram, for example, fits the narrative based on his nature on the pitch, with the OGC Nice talent said to rank near the top of Klopp’s summer shortlist as he considers potential targets. The same applies to Manu Koné of Borussia Mönchengladbach, Gabri Veiga of Celta Vigo and Ryan Gravenberch of Bayern Munich.
Indeed, even Alexis Mac Allister prefers the left, with the 24-year-old announced as Liverpool’s first signing of the window last week, joining from Brighton and Hove Albion. The South American midfielder has a very versatile skill set but despite that, he leans towards the left of the field.
READ MORE: Liverpool legend link gives Jürgen Klopp useful option as confirmed loan could be transfer double
READ MORE: Steven Gerrard may have just proved Jürgen Klopp wrong as new Liverpool successor becomes clear
The common theme is even more curious once appreciating the preferences of Curtis Jones and Thiago Alcântara. The former has dominated the left for Liverpool across his last 10 matches, shining as a player who is very much evolving on Merseyside, and the latter has favored the left throughout the entirety of his illustrious career at the pinnacle of the sport.
The transfer approach taken by the Reds seems to be somewhat strange, but each passing link provides good news for a certain Harvey Elliott. Still just 20 years old, the young starlet is one of the few in the squad who is capable of playing on the right side of Liverpool’s midfield, and he is Klopp’s only left-footed midfielder.
As a right-sided number eight, Elliott looks destined to be presented with a fair amount of minutes next season unless things change over the summer. Upon inspection of Klopp’s current squad, Jordan Henderson is perhaps the only other player who would compete with him for the role in question, and it is worth noting that he’s due to turn 33 years old this week, meaning he’s unlikely to play as much as he once did.
Klopp has always been a huge fan of Elliott. “He is a top player and he is really happy,” he said about him in the past, via the ECHO. “He had to improve slightly defensively but offensively his contributions are extremely interesting for the football team in the position he plays. He has a good overview with good technique.”
The German coach once labelled him as a ‘player for the middle’ despite the prospect emerging as a forward who plays out wide on the flanks, with assistant Pep Lijnders even likening him to a Barcelona legend who won everything in the sport during his days as a player at the Camp Nou.
“There is no such thing as like for like in football, but Harvey Elliott has some of the ingredients of Andrés Iniesta and thinks like a creative midfielder,” said the Dutchman in his latest book, Intensity, as relayed by the Mirror.
It is still early days in his career on Merseyside but already, Elliott has painted himself as quite a modern talent. He is technical, clever, creative and progressive on the ball, and his willingness to personify Klopp’s defensive game by pressing opponents has proved to be very impressive.
In fact, against Wolves earlier this year, the Reds number 19 registered the most time spent counter-pressing by any player in a single Premier League match this season. Moreover, once compared to every player who amassed at least 1,500 minutes on the field this term, he placed fourth in the division for possession-adjusted pressures per 90 minutes, behind only Julián Álvarez, Cody Gakpo and Conor Gallagher.
Nobody knows whether Liverpool’s desire to sign numerous left-sided options is intentional or not, but if it is, it could suggest that Klopp is willing to empower Elliott moving forward. The Reds boss is in desperate need of midfield reinforcements this summer, but the rumor mill implies that the exciting youngster is central to his plans.