Why Liverpool should sign Keita Balde from Monaco
According to a report in Devon Live, Liverpool have opened talks with winger Keita Balde, who is currently on loan at Inter Milan from his parent club Monaco. The Reds are hoping to conclude a deal when the transfer window reopens in January. It may see the player cut his loan deal short and move to Anfield.
The 23-year-old has been in great form in the Serie A, especially in the last few games, which has caught the eye. As per the report, Jurgen Klopp is keen on adding more depth to his squad, chiefly in the attacking department. The German looks at Balde as a perfect signing for the Merseysiders.
The deal could be struck if the Reds pay around £30m for the winger. Here’s why the club should sign the Senegalese star in the winter window:
Perfect foil and backup for Sadio Mane
Liverpool have made a near perfect start to their Premier League season, as they are now on top of the table after 16 games. Klopp’s men are doing a fantastic job in matching the Cityzens’ stride for stride until now, but the challenge remains open until May.
The Reds have an abundance of attacking talent on the pitch, with the likes of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane, Xherdan Shaqiri and Daniel Sturridge in the squad. However, they do not have a left winger to back Mane. For instance, the Senegalese was unavailable to play in Liverpool’s win over Burnley, and they had to start with virtually no left-sided attacker on the night.
This makes it clear that the team would struggle if Mane misses a bigger game. Hence, it makes perfect sense from the club’s viewpoint to try and sign a left winger. Keita Balde is Senegalese too and would complement Mane well.
Talking about his attributes, the 23-year-old Balde possesses raw pace, great dribbling skills and lethal shooting in and around the box. He has scored three goals and supplied two assists 13 Serie A appearances (eight of them coming from the bench). He also has a key pass rate of 1.2, epitomising his propensity to create chances for other attackers.
Read More: Go for it Klopp – This former Liverpool ace could be the man to solve the Reds’ midfield woes
In short, spending £30m on a player as a backup option in the attack won’t be a bad deal for Liverpool. They should just go for it.
Stats Courtesy – Whoscored.com