Liverpool are reportedly targeting £14M rated defender who could be the next Virgil Van Dijk following a string of eye-catching performances.
Securing the future of their defence will be for Liverpool given Van Dijk and Joel Matip are in their 30s and Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap is a rumoured long-term target.
Having signed from Bochum this summer for £8.6M, he’s shined and it looks like Southampton have secured another top talent who could go on to be a top player.
His reputation is growing week on week and eye-catching performances against Manchester United and Chelsea are just the start for the young German.
🥉| Liverpool are among a umber of top clubs keeping tabs on Southampton’s Armel Bella-Kotchap, with Klopp an admirer of the defender and seeing him as a long-term replacement for Virgil Van Dijk at Anfield. [@fichajesnet] pic.twitter.com/Do2LrLvkaC
— Anfield Edition (@AnfieldEdition) September 16, 2022
Latest reports on Bella-Kotchap
According to Fichajes.net, they claim the Reds, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all monitoring the young centre-back following his emergence in the Premier League.
Klopp is an ‘admirer’ of his compatriot and sees him as a long-term replacement for Virgil van Dijk at Anfield. The similarities come both in their style of play, their physicality but also the fact that they both have the Southampton connection.
It’s paramount for Liverpool to plan for the future given Van Dijk and Matip’s ages but also because Joe Gomez has failed to impress and has injury concerns that could hold him back from being a regular starter. Having invested in Ibrahima Konate last summer, who looks a top signing, it makes sense to plan for the future.
Once upon a time, the Merseyside club were notorious for signing the best talent on offer from Southampton, including Sadio Mane, Adam Lallana and Nathaniel Clyne to name a few and they could revisit their old ways.
Armel Bella-Kotchap vs Man United
43 passes
81% pass accuracy
1/1 successful dribble
2 tackles won
2 interceptions
1 clearance
2 blocked shots
1 last man tackle
1 clearance off the line
5/8 aerials won
9/12 duels won20 years of age. What a performance! pic.twitter.com/CPmOEuaAFR
— Football Talent Scout – Jacek Kulig (@FTalentScout) August 27, 2022
Impressive form this season
On a personal level, he’s enjoyed a good start to the season, despite Southampton lingering in mid-table. He enjoyed great games against United and Chelsea and caught the eye of many a football fan.
Looking at his stats over the last year, he registers between the 87th-98th percentiles for clearances, pressures and interceptions. Whilst at the other end, he registers between the 81st-84th percentiles for assists, touches in the attacking penalty area and shots total – showing he can be effective from set pieces and corners.
Away from the numbers, he also passes the eye-test. Against Chelsea, there was a moment that showed how clever and defensively sound he really is. Raheem Sterling was charging through on goal and had an option to play in another forward, but Bella-Kotchap’s positioning saw him both block off the pass and force Sterling wider before he stepped in to make a perfect tackle.
It was eerily similar to how Van Dijk defends in one-on-one situations and he’s certainly one to watch as the season goes on.
https://twitter.com/hbrooks_coach/status/1564691594816659459?s=20&t=SEAVwyeTOc1cKxogGvxwQA
