Why Nkunku and Tielemans Would Bolster Liverpool
AN ARTICLE BY MATTY
As you can tell by the title, there are two names that I want at the club next summer: Youri Tielemans and Christopher Nkunku. These signings wouldn’t be ridiculously expensive, they’d both slot right into the starting eleven and would fill desperately needed holes in the squad, and they’re both young enough to be here for the long-term. Their situations are also favorable: Nkunku has played consistently for at least two years at Leipzig, meaning he’s passed the test Edwards usually has for his transfer targets. Meanwhile, Tielemans looks likely to run down his contract at Leicester, meaning that he could be had for a cheaper price and would directly weaken one of many possible challengers for the top four. I know we’d like to see maybe a more flashy signing, such as a Haaland or Mbappe or Bellingham, but this would be more of the style we’ve typically done: finding value in players who can take the next step and become truly world class in our system. For many reasons, Tielemans and Nkunku are the perfect fit.
First up, Youri Tielemans will have 18 months left on his contract in the summer, has shown no intent of extending his contract with Leicester, and is at the age of 25, an ideal age for the midfield since we need impact performers to bridge the gap between our old horses, like Henderson, and our young bucks like Elliott and Jones. Tielemans, while lacking a bit in pace, can do it all: he’s scored 15 goals in the last 18 months in all competitions, he’s relatively durable outside of his most recent injury, and his style is a mix of Gini and Thiago. He averages over 1.5 key passes per 90 for Leicester, proving himself capable of threading the killer pass even if his 2 assists in the Premier League this season don’t quite show it. He averages over 50 passes per game, showing that he is Leicester’s passing metronome: their attacks go through him with his passing ability or James Maddison with Maddison’s ability to dribble past players to create dynamic shot creations. Yep, this is my bread and butter, which I haven’t done for a while: a purely analytical article. Defensively, he averages two tackles and one interception per game, suggesting that he is not only solid offensively, but also capable of doing what Gini did for us and keep us in a compact midfield wall, tracking back and making the strong runs required to keep us defensively solid, something we’ve missed often from the midfield during this campaign. However, what was Gini’s most important skill for us? His ball retention and ability to recycle play for us. Tielemans is only dispossessed once per game and attempts 1.5 dribbles per 90. That number of dispossessions is higher compared to our midfielders, I must say. It is double the amount of times Thiago and Henderson are dispossessed per game. But it must also be said that stats can be misleading. Thiago is the creative hub of the midfield when he’s involved, yes, but Henderson is rarely in attacking positions unless he’s crossing or shooting, whereas Tielemans has to do significantly more as one of the standouts in an ordinary Leicester side. My guess is that, with a more refined role and being surrounded by better players, that number can come down. The versatility of Tielemans, his ability to fill any number of roles in this midfield, from being a creative force to a Gini clone, makes him a smart purchase for me. Plus his price tag will be lower because this summer will be Leicester’s last big chance to make some money off of him before he leaves for free.
Christopher Nkunku is someone I’ve had my eye on for quite some time, 2017 was the first time I took notice of him. Over time, his main position has gradually become more and more attacking to suit his prowess, from being a central midfielder to an attacking midfielder to a winger. Rabona TV, a YouTube channel, has a good synopsis on this progress. He moved to RB Leipzig in the summer of 2019 and, once he was out of PSG’s shadow, he truly shined by the end of his second season at Leipzig. This season, however, he’s on a whole new level. He scored 7 goals in the Champions League this season and 9 goals in the Bundesliga, while also providing 7 assists in the Bundesliga. He’s brilliant with both feet and lightning quick, preferring to attack on his left foot in a similar fashion to Salah. But he can play on the left wing too, or through the middle. His early days as a midfielder suggest he could even fill Firmino’s role if he had to. He averages 2 key passes and 2.5 shots per game in the Bundesliga, suggesting he thrives as both the guy who finishes off attacking moves and the guy who creates them. He also has over two successful dribbles per game, again suggesting he can pull a Salah impression and use his speed and vision to move past defenders with ease. However, what is most associated with our forwards besides their goal-scoring? As Pep Lijnders puts it, they’re like velociraptors in the press. Nkunku, in this area, ranks in the 75th percentile of pressures, averaging 19 per game. This is a similar number to our front four. The brilliance about Nkunku, Jota and Salah being in a front three together is the flexibility they can afford each other with positioning. On one attacking move, imagine Nkunku on the left, Jota in the middle, Salah on the right. Next attacking move, you see Nkunku and Jota switch places. Then you see Salah switch places with Jota or Nkunku on the next attacking move. It’s hard enough to track three incredibly quick and clinical forwards without them constantly moving around and confusing defenders, especially those who mark man-to-man. Nkunku’s current valuation is at about £55 million, which would be an expensive outlay. But he offers a contingency plan should, God forbid, we can’t lock up Salah long term, or he gives us a really exciting trio with Jota and Salah. Plus, like I said, we could occasionally use him as an attacking midfielder in a front four. Like Tielemans, Nkunku is versatile.
Well, if you’re still reading at this point, congratulations. This took me over an hour to write and it might take even longer for you all to read it and figure out what I’m even saying with all these stats. The point remains, though, that if we really want to bring in quality over quantity, I feel that Tielemans and Nkunku are two of the best options out there to improve the team without absolutely breaking the bank.
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