The players at threat if Liverpool sign Denis Zakaria
Liverpool have been linked with a transfer move for Borussia Monchengladbach star Denis Zakaria. These are the players at threat if the move happens.
We’ve already read how the Swiss international in interesting those in the corridors of power at Liverpool, but that might put a few squad players at threat because Jurgen Klopp might feel the need to trim the squad.
Denis Zakaria has taken the Bundesliga by storm with his athleticism and skill on the ball, but he’s also versatile and has been known to play across midfielder as a more defensively minded player or further forward.
But the first man at risk if Zakaria arrives is Croatian Dejan Lovren. Lovren is pretty much out of the exit door regardless of what happens with the transfer window at the end of the season, but the arrival of the Bundesliga man would accelerate that.
With only one year left on his current deal, the World Cup finalist will probably be sold this or kept for one more season and allowed to leave on a free when his deal expires. This is a tactic Klopp has used before, and it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of possibility to see it happen again.
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Zakaria could then play in midfield and provide a fourth-choice option for Liverpool as a central defender. We could trim the wage bill, squad numbers and give more opportunity to youngsters Sepp van den Berg and Ki-Jana Hoever.
Speaking of van den Berg, he’s another at risk if the Gladback man arrives this summer.
Klopp gave him a few scattered opportunities but the ginger defender failed to capture out imagination and could be off on loan if another first team player arrives who can play in his position.
This would probably only occur if Lovren left this season, which wouldn’t be a surprise.
But the man with the most to lose would be Naby Keita. Zakaria does much of what Keita was brought to the club to do, but the Guinea international has struggled for form and fitness as he’s failed to win over fans.
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With a packed squad, especially in the engine room, it’s unlikely that Liverpool would sign a player without thinking about the ramifications for the existing squad. Keita and Zakaria are just too similar for the former to be kept around if the latter arrived.