Naturally, incoming players always generate more chatter than outgoing players, such is the desire of the modern football fan to see their club develop at a rapid rate. Fortunately, Liverpool fans have got to see a lot of new faces move to Anfield over the last few years, with everyone from Andy Robertson to Virgil van Dijk to Xherdan Shaqirii offering something new and different under Jurgen Klopp.
That’s unlikely to stop anytime soon, given Liverpool’s recent rise. The Reds continue to go from strength to strength, and that has been facilitated by the recruitment of new faces.
Naturally, then, as the club continue to return to prominence, better players are going to come in and help push that along.
A central midfielder by trade, Demirbay has had a pretty good season over in the Bundesliga, and Klopp is said to be a long-term fan. He’s more of a creative player, but he’s also able to make an impact when he’s not got the ball at his feet – thanks to his physical presence.
Bringing in a new player is likely to excite Liverpool fans, as is often the case, but it’s feasible that any move could come with a caveat. There’s certainly a chance that his arrival could make things even tougher for Fabinho, and it could even force him out of the club.
Now, granted, Demirbay and Fabinho don’t play the same role exactly, but they do share an overall position in the team, that being in the heart of the midfield. Generally speaking, the Reds utilise a three-man midfield, allowing a handful of individuals a chance at any one time. Fabinho generally takes up the more defensive spot in the team, whilst Demirbay would likely be further forward. However, whilst he’s not a direct replacement for the Brazilian, he would serve as another body in an already cluttered Liverpool midfield. Between Jordan Henderson, Xherdan Shaqiri, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Gini Wijnaldum and Naby Keita, that’s an awful lot of bodies for a midfield that generally speaking doesn’t see all that much rotation.
Fabinho’s hardly had the ideal start to life in England, and there’s certainly an argument to suggest that of the players that have been available in the midfield this season, he’s been the worst. Naby Keita has been inconsistent but has shown moments of brilliance, whilst Jordan Henderson, Gini Wijnaldum and Xherdan Shaqiri have been pretty good all year long. Fabinho, meanwhile, has hardly played, and outside of a game or two, he’s not exactly looked particularly sensational. So, if we’re looking at a departure to allow for Demirbay to join, which Klopp surely must have to consider, Fabinho would seem like an obvious casualty.
This week, the Brazilian has been linked with a move away as the Reds look to fund another major deal for Christian Pulisic, and that says it all about his current standing. He’s expendable, and whilst he does offer a lot of promise, Liverpool might not have enough time to wait for him to adjust.
Make no mistake, it would be silly for Liverpool to sell him, but would you put it past them?
Thoughts?
