3. Sven Bender:
Bender is not a sure shot starting eleven player but he can be a great holding midfielder option for Liverpool. Lucas Leiva is a good defensive midfielder but he is inconsistent and does not do anything for the team at times. He is turning 29 in January and his peak years are about to see an end. Bender and Lucas are comparable players. Both are great at tackling and both of them knows to do their defensive responsibilities well. Lucas is able to hold the ball and play short passes to his teammates, but Bender on the other hand is not a great passer but at times he is able to produce goal scoring chances.
Lucas is often criticized for being too slow. Bender is slightly quicker than Lucas. Bender has worked with Klopp and Bender will be more suitable to Klopp’s style than Lucas. Again, Bender is not a starting eleven player, but is a great squad player and might be useful against teams with greater midfield threat. At Dortmund, Bender is often left on the bench after the emergence of Julian Weigl. Even though Bender might not be a constant starter for Liverpool, he will get more playing time considering the tight schedule in the English Premier League.
