Liverpool have recently been linked with a possible transfer of Jonas Hector, the left-back who currently plays for FC Koln. The 25 year old German international has showed a lot of promise this season and is also under the radar of Joachim Low for a role in the national team. Jurgen Klopp is on the hunt for a new full-back with Jose Enrique almost sidelined throughout the season. The manager does have the services of Jon Flanagan and Nathaniel Clyne but their natural position is on the right side.
The Possibility
Hector has recently admitted that he would love the prospect of working under Jurgen Klopp and would be tempted to move to Liverpool if presented with an acceptable offer. This is what he had to say to the media, “You always have to consider whether you are ready to take the next step. At the moment, I am not thinking about it. I think what we have to do at FC Koln is enough”. However, the German did not entirely deny the possibility of a summer move. He is currently valued at £12m by FC Koln.
Hector vs Moreno – playing style
Looking at their style of play, Moreno and Hector are completely different. Moreno is more of an attacking full-back whereas Hector shows his defensive prowess. Moreno makes a lot of runs on the sides and also puts in a few effective crosses inside the box. But, the biggest weakness in his game is his ability to defend set-pieces and opposition attacks from the flanks. On the contrary, Hector has a towering presence while defending set-pieces and is also good at man-marking and defending at the flanks. He is quick on the counter attacks and can certainly adapt to Liverpool’s style of play.
A statistical perspective
If we look at the numbers, both the players have appeared for similar number of games this season and both have a similar pass-completion rate of 80%. Moreno leads Hector in the number of assists and also has 28 shots on goal as compared to Hector’s 7 shots on goal. Clearly, Moreno is a better attacking full-back. Now, looking at the defensive statistics, Hector leads Moreno in the number of blocks and also when it comes to aerial duels, Hector has a winning rate of 65% compared to Moreno’s 44%. Also, if we look at the discipline of the game, Hector has committed half the number of fouls than Moreno with the latter committing 26 for the season so far. These stats indicate that Hector is a better defensive midfielder than Moreno and this is probably what Klopp will be looking for in the next season.
