Ian Graham highlights Jurgen Klopp shift that torpedoed move for Coutinho's heir

Ian Graham confirms that Liverpool were not very keen on a number 10 to replace Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool FC’s pursuit of French star Nabil Fekir is one for the history books. A deal for the dynamic attacker looked to be all but done only for the club to pull the plug at the 11th hour. Since then, we have had several theories as to why the move broke down, ranging from injury concerns to the player’s agents’ antics.

But now, former Reds’ Director of Research, Ian Graham, has added a new element to the conversation as to why the Reds eventually moved away from bringing in the number 10 to replace Philippe Coutinho. Speaking exclusively to This is Anfield via Youtube, Graham confirmed that Fekir’s numbers were impressive and that the Reds had already been scouting him for two years and were impressed.

Speaking on the failed Fekir transfer, Graham did not give much away but confirmed that given the roster at Jurgen Klopp’s disposal and its strengths, bringing in a new number 10 was not a priority. The Reds would eventually go on to pay a then-world record fee to bring in Alisson Becker the same summer. Given how things have played out, we are not complaining.

“I loved Fekir as a player. If Jurgen’s desire was we need a number 10, like a Coutinho, he would have been near the top of my list. But the squad had evolved away from that style anyway.”

The front three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane, and Roberto Firmino gave the Reds a new dimension up front, and with Coutinho pulling the strings as the playmaker, we scored goals for fun in the first half of the 2017-18 campaign. Despite Coutinho’s departure in the 2018 January window, the Reds’ front three continued to score goals and, took their game up a notch.

Ian Graham confirms that Liverpool were not very keen on a number 10 to replace Philippe Coutinho.

Klopp largely employed a 4-2-3-1 formation at Borussia Dortmund but switched to a 4-3-3 at Liverpool that got the best out of his prolific frontline. The new formation left little room for a traditional number 10, more or less making Fekir’s arrival less of a priority.

While it might not be the primary reason for the transfer breaking down, maybe it is for the best that we did not go big for a player who might not have made the playing XI regularly. For the naysayer who might claim that the Reds could have shifted to a 4-2-3-1 had the Frenchman signed, they only need to look at the fact that the German never reverted to using a number 10 again at Anfield. Had Klopp really wanted a player in the role, it would’ve been unsurprising that they would have shifted focus to another number 10 once the Fekir deal collapsed.

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Graham’s admission that it was the defence that needed investment gives credence to the news that the Reds were only able to sign Alisson Becker because the Fekir deal collapsed. The Reds brought in Virgil van Dijk and Alisson in successive windows for record figures, outlining their intent to identify and plug gaps in the roster. Missing out on Fekir, thankfully, will only be a footnote, as the Reds won the lot under Klopp.