Liverpool are reportedly interested in signing John McGinn this summer instead of Youri Tielemans, with the Sunday Post via Not the Old Firm reporting the story.
The Belgian will cost around €70million and is an unlikely target for the Reds but a new midfielder is needed after Georginio Wijnaldum sealed a move to PSG.
Tielemans is one of the best options for Jurgen Klopp given his ability on the ball but it’s extremely unlikely purely given the finances involved.
McGinn to Liverpool?
Liverpool’s midfield is best characterised by its energy and ability to retrieve the ball by swarming the opposition. With this in mind, it’s easy to imagine why Aston Villa’s McGinn would be of interest to Jurgen Klopp.
Scotland’s defender Andrew Robertson (R) congratulates Scotland’s midfielder John McGinn (L) on the pitch after the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 qualification football match between Scotland and Austria at Hampden Park in Glasgow on March 25, 2021. – The game finished 2-2. (Photo by ANDY BUCHANAN/AFP via Getty Images)
He’s essentially the midfield version of Andy Robertson.
The Sunday Post, via Not the Old Firm, reports that Liverpool have entered the race to sign McGinn with Manchester United also said to be considering a move to sign the Scotland star.
While Tielemans will cost €70million (£60m), McGinn will reportedly cost in the region of £50m which means that signing him won’t be cheap either.
Why is McGinn an interesting option?
Much like Wijnaldum, the 26-year-old is tireless and rarely gets injured which is the first thing that Liverpool will be looking at these days after their 2020/21 Premier League season was decimated by injuries.
Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool is tackled by Jordan Pickford of Everton which led to Virgil van Dijk being substituted for an injury during the Premier League match between Everton and Liverpool at Goodison Park on October 17, 2020 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
But his ability to press high up the pitch and win the ball will be attractive to Klopp and co. and given this Premier League experience, he won’t need time to adjust to the speed of the game in England.
His relationship with Andy Robertson would also help with settling in on Merseyside but he will inevitably need time to adapt to Jurgen Klopp’s tactics the same way his compatriot did when he joined the Reds in 2017.
He scored three goals and assisted 6 this season which is a decent return and already more than any Liverpool midfielders managed.
