71% Tackle Success, 86% Passing Accuracy – 3 Reasons Why Liverpool Should Sign This Midfield Destroyer

Liverpool currently lie in 4^th place and are challenging for a Champions League spot, may be even the title. Manager Brendan Rodgers has made no secret of his desire to add to a squad that he deems to be too light to sustain a title charge and the midfield has been his Achilles’ heel. He has been light in numbers and injury to key players like Steven Gerrard or Lucas Leiva may derail their challenge. Hence, they have been linked with a move for Rubin Kazan’s French battler Yann M’Vila, and here are three reasons why they should sign M’Vila.

1. Hard tackler in midfield

M’Vila has been outstanding in the midfield for Rubin Kazan this season, and boasts some outstanding stats having won 71% of his tackles 28 tackles and 68% of his 22 headed duels. Even in the first-half of last season at Rennes in Ligue 1, M’Vila won 72% of his duels, including 18 out of 24 tackles and 30 out of 41 headed duels.

Compared to that, Lucas, who performs a similar role for Liverpool has won 44% of his 119 tackles and 65% of his 74 headed duels this season. While Lucas has put his foot into a lot more challenges than the Frenchman, his tendency to give away cheap free-kicks has proven to be costly for Liverpool this season. M’Vila is the sort of destructive central midfielder who would be the ideal solution for Brendan Rodgers in terms of breaking up play, as well as controlling the tempo of the game from central midfield.

(Stats: Squawka)

2. Passing ability

Despite his reputation as a tough tackler, M’Vila is an excellent passer of the ball, and is currently only 2^nd in the Russian Premier League in terms of successful passes- he has made 837 successful passes at 86% accuracy. He has also managed 308 successful passes at 88% accuracy in the Europa League this season. He has given a total of 11 chances this season including 1 assist, despite playing in such a deep role in midfield.

His passing is head and shoulders above his team mates, and the accuracy stats would invariably go up given the quality of the players he would be playing with at Liverpool. The one aspect he seems to have bettered Lucas, who has made 1022 successful passes at 91% accuracy, is that 73.2% of his passes are forward ones compared to Lucas’ 71.4%.

3. Adding to squad depth

Squad depth has been one of Brendan Rodgers’ main concerns during his stay at Liverpool, and they are dangerously under stocked in terms of quality midfield options. With Joe Allen out injured, all three of Liverpool’s senior midfielders– Steven Gerrard, Jordan Henderson and Lucas- are playing every week, and if any one of them get injured, Liverpool’s title challenge could easily be derailed.

M’Vila’s style of play has been compared with compatriot Patrick Vieira, and the arrival of the Frenchman would add depth to a Liverpool squad that is currently light on numbers. Controversy seems to have been a constant follower of the 23-year old- he is currently banned from the national side- but he has settled down at Rubin Kazan. Considering his talent, Liverpool could be getting him for a cheap €14 million given his attitude problems, but as Rodgers has shown, he can bring the best out of such players, and M’Vila could add some depth and steel to Liverpool’s midfield.