The Transfer Tavern’s Liverpool patrons are hoping the landlord’s fine ale can calm their confusion, amid news their club is considering a swoop for West Ham’s Pedro Obiang.
The 24-year-old is hardly a household name and was certainly short of regular football during his first season in East London, after arriving from Sampdoria in summer 2015.
But Obiang became a mainstay in the starting XI when West Ham’s form tanked earlier this season and he’s since emerged as an important figure in their revival at the base of midfield.
In a nutshell, Obiang’s become a bit of an unsung hero at the Olympic Stadium, crucial to results yet rarely grabbing headlines due to his understated style.
In fact, signing him this summer – as reported by The Sun – could prove to be a bit of a masterstroke on Jurgen Klopp’s part. So here’s three more unsung heroes from the Premier League our landlord reckons Liverpool should consider swooping for in the next transfer window.
Agree with our landlord’s picks, Liverpool fans? Let us know by commenting below!
Ben Gibson
Considering Boro have conceded the fourth-fewest goals of any Premier League side this term, centre-back Ben Gibson really hasn’t received the praise his form deserves.
Sure, he’s been occasionally linked with Chelsea, but there’s been hardly any discussion about his performances bearing in mind he’s a young, English defender excelling in his first top flight campaign after gaining promotion from the Championship.
Jurgen Klopp brought in Joel Matip during the summer but Liverpool’s balance at the back still isn’t quite right. The 24-year-old could be the missing ingredient, even if he’s slipping under the radar at the moment.
Oriol Romeu
Jordan Henderon’s done a fine job anchoring the engine room this season but Liverpool’s squad still lacks that out-and-out holding player with the exception of Lucas Leiva, who now lines up at centre-back more often than not.
Oriol Romeu, meanwhile, is finally showing the quality heralded of him as a youngster after struggling to make his mark at Chelsea, holding down a pivotal role at the base of Southampton’s engine room.
He keeps it simple but goes about his job in productive fashion, averaging 3.4 tackles and 2.3 interceptions per match whilst effectively distributing the ball to more attack-minded players around him. However, not every Southampton player has excelled after moving to Anfield, which may put Reds supporters off the idea of a bid for the Spaniard.
Tom Heaton
Tom Heaton’s heroics for Burnley certainly haven’t gone unnoticed but the England international is still a little underrated in the context of the Premier League.
Indeed, it’s hard to imagine Sean Dyche’s side being anywhere near the top half without the 30-year-old in such fine form and perhaps most tellingly of all, he’s made the second-most saves of any Premier League glovesman this term – 69 in 23 appearances alongside six clean sheets.
Experienced and seemingly at the tip of his peak, Heaton represents an unassuming solution to the current goalkeeping situation at Anfield.
