Liverpool has signed Ben Davies, the man with a ‘lovely range of passing’.
The unexpected news has led to hundreds and thousands of people scrambling around to find more information on the former Preston North-End man.
Davies was brought in to plug the gap left by Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez and Joel Matip – all of whom have succumbed to season-ending injuries.
Matip was the latest domino to fall. Liverpool announced he’d suffered ankle ligament trauma during the win over West Ham and will now be out for the count.
Liverpool moved quickly
That directly influenced FSG’s mad trolly dash for reinforcements; culminating in the arrival of Davies and Ozan Kabak. Kabak joined on loan with the option for a permanent deal, while Davies has signed a long-term contract.
But how will Davies go, and what is he strong at? Ever since van Dijk was brutally struck down at Everton, Liverpool has missed his excellent distribution from the back. Davies will be able to bring his own considerable talents in that area and step up in the Dutchman’s absence.
Someone who knows him well is his former gaffer Simon Grayson, who had Davies on loan. Grayson was talking to BBC Five Live, reported the BBC website, when he gave his assessment on his former charge.
"“Ben Davies has a lovely range of passing and has developed the physical side a lot better over the last few years. He’s got stronger, very comfortable on the ball, can see a pass.“When you are going to a top-six club, you have a lot more possession of the ball and don’t have to defend your box as much, and I think that is more suited to Ben.“If he was down at the bottom end of the Premier League and you’re defending all the time, you get asked more questions of you and I think he’s more suited to a top-six team because of the way he plays and the way they play.”"
Ben Davies is similar to Virgil van Dijk in one way
Where Davies and van Dijk differ is the quality of their pure defending. Nobody can hold a candle to van Dijk, and Davies doesn’t try. But as Liverpool has so much of the ball, and as Grayson pointed out, Klopp can afford to play a center-back who isn’t traditionally strong in those areas.
Liverpool needs someone to get the ball moving forward, at pace, to the full-backs or up the field. Van Dijk used to, but now he’s out. Davies can step up and be that man.