Jurgen Klopp coming to Liverpool meant that the German manager would be able to lure a number of players from his old side to the Merseyside club and with the likes of Loris Karius and even Jonas Hector on the verge of completing a move to the club, it shouldn’t be a surprise to see a few more Borussia Dortmund players doing the rounds when it comes to moving to the club.
One player who does seem to be in the radar for Klopp is his star in midfield, Nuri Sahin. Everyone will remember the stint the Turkish star had at Dortmund before his ill-fated spell at Real Madrid and even that horrendous loan move to Liverpool under then manager Brendan Rodgers.
The 27-year-old didn’t really have a great time at Anfield all those years ago and did state that he was really happy to leave Brendan Rodgers’ team in 2013. Jurgen Klopp was more than happy to have his star man back in the team and even had a pot at the ex-Liverpool manager about the way the Turkish midfielder was treated at the club.
“It was the wrong position [for Sahin to play]. If you are a No. 8 or 6 and you have to as a No. 9 or 10 – it’s not possible.
“For some guys of course it’s possible, but Nuri’s a brilliant player – not nine-and-a-half and not 10 – and I don’t know why Brendan Rodgers would do this.”
All that seems to be water under the bridge as Sahin is being linked with a move to Merseyside again, but does it mean that he will do a good job at the Premier League side?
A good player to have but is Sahin first team quality now?
The 27-year-old arguably had his best years before his move to Real Madrid. Sahin was the heartbeat of the Dortmund team and he was even named as the best player in the Bundesliga in 2010, the same year when Dortmund won the Bundesliga.
Sahin’s performances, though have trailed off since his return to Dortmund as he has only made a total of 21 appearances in all competitions. This has been due to the rise in form of Ilkay Gundogan and even Julian Weigl, but with Ilkay moving to Manchester City, it might provide the Turkish star a few more starts next season.
The problem with Nuri moving to Liverpool would be the fact that he would again be playing in a league which is more robust and tough than Germany and that might not suit his playing style. The 27-year-old, though could still do a good job under Klopp if he is sued effectively, but it shouldn’t be a surprise to see him not make a move and try to stay in Germany.
Sahin did state that Dortmund feels like home and Liverpool might be a great club, but they don’t need him at the moment. What they need is another dynamic midfielder to play alongside Emre Can and if they can find a player that actually complements the playing style of the German, the Reds might have a midfield pairing that can dominate the league next season.