Liverpool have been linked with a number of rising stars from the Bundesliga and it is no surprise that stars such as Mahmoud Dahoud and Christian Pulisic are on the radar of the Reds with Jurgen Klopp at the helm of the club.
The German had joined after a bit of a break from his time at Borussia Dortmund and has turned the side around as they look to finish in the top four this season. There was a blip in 2017 when they failed to win games in January and the lack of a quality attacker certainly came to the fore.
Liverpool struggled when the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane were away from the side and the calls to bring in a talented winger grew in the last couple of months.
With the Reds certainly set to play in Europe next season, they have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt and we look a little deeper as to why the German youngster is considered as one of the brightest players currently in the Bundesliga.
Who is he?
Brandt is another one of the German wonder kids and was born in Bremen in 1996. He started his youth career with his hometown club SC Borgfield and then moved to FC Oberneuland before being picked up by Wolfsburg.
The young German caught the eye of many top clubs and it was no surprise that Bayer Leverkusen signed him up from their rivals for a fee of 350,000 euros and he even signed a professional contract for six years.
Brandt made his debut against Schalke in 2014 in February and a couple of months later he scored his first goal for the Bundesliga side against Hamburg.
Playing style
Liverpool need pace on their wings and that is exactly what Brandt gives them but Klopp had said earlier that decision making is also an important requirement for the player and the youngster certainly is mature enough to play for a Premier League side.
The 20-year-old plays out wide and is comfortable on either side of the attack. In fact, Brandt can even play as a lone striker or in midfield but being the wide player gets the best out of him.
As with most wingers these days, Brandt likes to cut inside and take the opposition defence on with his blistering pace and remarkable strength, given that his frame isn’t the greatest in the world. Playing in the Bundesliga isn’t as physical as the Premier League but is still is impressive that a player like Brandt can brush aside bigger defenders.
Brandt is known for his deliveries into the box and link-up play but he also has an eye for goal. The German has regularly found the back of the net for his team and this season he has scored a couple of goals and provided six assists in 21 Bundesliga games.
Weaknesses
Klopp wants his players to track back and put pressure on the opposition and that is something that Brandt doesn’t do all that much. He has to increase his defensive output to get into Klopp’s starting XI.
What next for the German?
Leverkusen want Brandt to stay at the club but there have been a number of rumblings that the German could be moving in the summer for a cut-price deal. The German club do have a history of letting some of their star players go such as Son Heung-min and Brandt could be another player to follow that same boat.
The German would provide a lot of cover for the likes of Mane and Coutinho and being only 20 years of age, he has a great future ahead of him as well.
The Reds need a player who can star in a number of positions and Brandt certainly seems to fit the bill for the Merseyside club. Klopp would have to move fast if he is to sign the winger up as there will be a number of clubs looking to sign him.
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