The Liverpool fans in the Transfer Tavern have taken a keen interest in the World Cup thus far, and plenty of them believe they have identified a player who could thrive at Anfield next season.
It is a commonly held notion that signing players off the back of impressive performances at international tournaments is a fundamentally risky strategy to adopt in the transfer market, but that never seems to prevent supporters from urging their club to sign players who stand out on the biggest stage of all. The likes of Hirving Lozano and Aleksandr Golovin have attracted plenty of interest from supporters of Premier League clubs due to their impressive form in the tournament, however, the Liverpool fans have taken a particular shine to Lazio’s Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (valued at £81 million by Transfermarkt).
Milinkovic-Savic has established himself as one of the most highly regarded midfielders in European football following a breathtaking season in Serie A, and his quality was duly noted on Twitter both during and after Serbia’s victory over Costa Rica last weekend. In the aftermath of proceedings, one of our regular punters delved into Twitter to assess the reaction from the Liverpool supporters, and it’s fair to say they had one clear message for their club after seeing him in action: bring him to Anfield as soon as possible.
The reaction from the supporters was understandable as he looked a class above throughout the fixture, albeit against modest opposition. However, it must be considered that Milinkovic-Savic’s £81 million valuation is probably short of what Lazio would demand for the 23-year-old’s services, and there is no guarantee that he would be able to successfully make the transition from Serie A to the Premier League in the future, despite his unquestionable talent.
Paul Pogba’s career with Manchester United so far serves to illuminate the problems which can arise when swapping Italy for England, so the Liverpool supporters should take Milinkovic-Savic’s eye-catching record of 14 goals and 4 assists from 35 appearances with a pinch of salt. The Serbian deservedly claimed plenty of plaudits throughout the Italian media last season, but there is a niggling suggestion that, like Pogba, the system of the team needs to be built around him in order to see evidence of his most scintillating form.
With an array of talented footballers at his disposal such as Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita, there is simply no chance that Jurgen Klopp would be willing to adapt his system for Milinkovic-Savic, especially following a season in which Liverpool’s incisive counter-attacking philosophy became a blueprint for success.
Ultimately, the risks associated with signing Milinkovic-Savic far outweigh the potential improvement his arrival could bring, so the club would be wise to keep the best part of £100 million in their pockets and prioritise the signing of a versatile winger instead this summer.
Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!
