Liverpool are reportedly looking at bolstering their midfield in January in order to make a sustained push for a Champions League spot, if not the Premier League title, and Sevilla’s Croatian playmaker Ivan Rakitic has been linked with a move to the Reds. Here’s a look at three reasons Liverpool should look to sign the Croatian.

1. Strengthening the midfield

Rakitic is a player with a proven pedigree and has performed well at both Schalke and Sevilla, suggesting that he has what it takes to adapt to a new environment, and is likely to be able to adjust to the demands of the English game. He can play as a box-to-box midfielder, as a right sided midfielder or even as an advanced playmaker, meaning that his versatility will be welcomed by Brendan Rodgers. He also does his fair share of defensive duties as suggested by his high average defensive actions of almost 4 per game.

Liverpool have been light on midfield options almost all season with Joe Allen, Lucas and Steven Gerrard all spending time on the sidelines due to injuries. With Rodgers preferring to play three midfielders, the squad has been stretched at times this season, and a quality addition like Rakitic will only help Liverpool’s push for a Champions League spot.

2. Creating chances from midfield

The Croatian has been a creative force this season, having created 32 chances in the league this season, including 6 assists in 16 appearances. As far as Liverpool are concerned, Luis Suarez and Steven Gerrard have been the most creative players with 45 and 40 chances created respectively. In their absence, only Jordan Henderson has been close with 39 chances created, and one begins to wonder where the supply will be from if they are absent due to injuries or suspension.

The Croatian has a healthy passing accuracy of 80%, and with all those chances created, he has shown the ability that he can feed others not only in and around the box, but also from deeper and wider positions. With a world-class striker in Suarez ahead of him, and Henderson and Coutinho making intelligent runs, Rakitic’s eye for a pass will undoubtedly come in handy when the Reds have to unlock solid defenses in some of the big games.

3. Goals from midfield

One of the areas where Liverpool have struggled so far this season has been finding an alternative source of goals in the absence of Luis Suarez who already has 20 league goals to his name. Liverpool’s second highest scorer in the league is Daniel Sturridge with 9 goals, but he has been missing for the last two months, followed by Raheem Sterling and Steven Gerrard both with 3 goals and Philippe Coutinho with 2 goals.

The lack of goals from midfield will surely be worrying Rodgers since Suarez is bound to have an off day in the office sooner rather than later. In Rakitic, Rodgers may have a solution to the problem- he has scored 8 goals in 16 league appearances this season, including two penalties. Given his ability to get into the box and into scoring positions, it will be an added threat for the Liverpool attack with Rakitic lining up alongside the likes of Henderson, Coutinho and Gerrard.

Stats Courtesy : Who Scored.Com And Squawka

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