Transfer Opinion: Why Liverpool Should Dodge The Bullet With This Portuguese AM

Transfer rumors continue to surround Jurgen Klopp and his club and the latest one being with the Euro 2016 winning Portuguese midfielder Joao Mario. The Reds have reportedly placed an offer of a whopping £40m to Sporting Lisbon to acquire the services of the midfielder. Jurgen Klopp is clearly looking to strengthen his midfield by bringing in quality players after the departure of Allen and Ibe. However, many of the footballing pundits are not in the favor of this move for many reasons. Before arriving to the opinions let us first have a look at the profile of Joao Mario.

Who is Joao Mario?

The 23-year-old Portuguese midfielder started his career with Sporting Lisbon in 2011 and has been with the club ever since. The attacking midfielder (AM) is known to play at the right wing and also plays in the central areas if needed. Mario managed to score 6 goals in the last season and he also was very influential in Portugal’s Euro 2016 campaign. These recent performances have managed to capture the attention of big clubs across Europe and Liverpool, Chelsea, PSG, and Inter Milan have already made an approach to Sporting Lisbon.

Why is this not a good move for Liverpool?

Joao Mario looks an interesting prospect and is a very talented midfielder. He prefers the right wing of midfield and his inclusion might not necessarily be needed for the Reds right now. Jurgen Klopp favored the 4-2-3-1 for most of the games in the last season and if he continues to go with the same tactic, Mario might not be the right player to add to the squad. For the right wing, Liverpool already have the services of Lallana and the recently acquired Mane. Adding another player to the squad and that too at a whopping amount of £40m does not look necessary at the moment. If the manager is thinking of playing 4-3-3, then this transfer makes sense as he can be utilized in the right midfield. But, at the moment the priority for Liverpool is to sign defenders and someone in central midfield.

Comments of Mario’s father

Mario’s father had to share his comments on the transfer speculations and this is what he had to say. “Nothing particular has happened, my son is a professional and knows he has a contract with Sporting. At the same time, we’re talking about a very valuable player for the club, who would aspire to bigger projects in the course of his career.”