Is This Midfield Enforcer Really the Man Liverpool Are Looking for?

The transfer window may have shut firmly, but that has not prevented Liverpool from scouting one of their major transfer target – Mahmoud Dahoud. The Reds have been linked with the Borussia Monchengladbach midfielder throughout the summer. In fact, they have been sending scouts to look at the player from last season. The interest in the 20-year-old has especially grown in the last few weeks according to rumours. Liverpool are thought to be concerned about the entry of Juventus in the race to sign the youngster. However, is Dahoud really the man Liverpool need right now?

Jurgen Klopp seems to be freezing Daniel Sturridge out to first-team action and the England international is more than likely to hand in a transfer request if the situation does not improve. Sturridge visibly expressed his disappointment at not coming on early in the 1-1 draw against Tottenham. Meanwhile, Klopp is likely to be deeply unhappy with Sturridge constantly moaning about his position on the pitch while he has spent the majority of the last 12 months on the sidelines.

Klopp has been using a formation with Roberto Firmino as the false number nine. It is yet to hit the heights, but the team needs a lot of fast dribblers in order to make this possible. Philippe Coutinho is a player who can excel in this formation, but he alone cannot make the difference in all the games. Liverpool need another fast dribbler who can take on the opposition and challenge them quite frequently. Dahoud is of average physical build at 5 ft 9 in; he is not the strongest when it comes to aerial duels.

However, the 20-year-old can almost be a like-for-like replacement for Coutinho with his ability to find key passes and also score from long range efforts. At present, Coutinho is the major hope for Liverpool to finish in the Champions League places.

As a player, Dahoud is still a raw talent and Klopp has to work a lot in order to get a polished diamond out of him. It is reported that the player has a release clause of £10 million that becomes active only next summer. At this price, Dahoud would be a gamble worth taking. He could very well become the next Coutinho, who was signed for a similar transfer fee – highly unlikely £8 million – from Inter Milan.