Having taken just 2 points from the last three Premier League games, Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool finds themselves in the 4th place in the points table, 10 points off Chelsea at the top of the table. The manager is evidently unhappy with the options at his disposal and is looking to add a few players to the squad and the latest name extensively linked with a move to Liverpool is Bayer Leverkusen winger Julian Brandt.
The 20-year old is one of the most exciting talents in German domestic circuit at the moment and Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool are ready to pounce on him in the summer. But who is this new guy on the Anfield radar? Here is a peek into his scout report:
Born and bought in Bremen, Germany, the 6ft 1in started his youth career at SC Borgfeld, as a 5-year-old and only moved to the Bundesliga back in 2011 with Wolfsburg. He created waves at the academy in Wolfsburg and even before he could make a senior appearance for the side, he was snapped up by fellow Bundesliga outfit Bayer Leverkusen back in 2014.
He stayed in the junior side for 6 months and broke into the first team in the 2014-15 season making a super start to his senior club career. He now has 80 league appearances and at his age and is easily one of the best young players around in his position.
Capable of playing in every position in the final third, the 20-year old is a smart winger, who is a goal scoring threat in most positions he plays. His vision, technique and passing ability make him a superstar for his age while his pace and ability to get past the opponents only make him more dangerous.
He loves to take on his man in danger areas but is equally adept at finding his teammates in space in the final third. He is a player who will improve most squads in Europe as at his age, as he is only getting better performance after performance.
The winger loves to help his side out by dropping back when needed but he is at his best when he tries to go beyond his team’s striker to create havoc among the back line of the opposition. However, he is not the strongest player in the air and could be a liability if he fails to work on that part of his game. He is also not the best finishers around but that is something he can learn with the more time he gets at the highest level.
At just 20, he is already capped at the international level for Germany and is a player who is destined for great things and Jurgen Klopp will want to be the one helping him to those things. At Anfield, the likes of Sadio Mane and Sheyi Ojo are the only two recognized wingers and Brandt will surely add more width to the squad when needed. At his age, he need not walk into the first team and can take his time to settle into the conditions in England before helping make Liverpool better.
Do you think Julian Brandt is a decent option for Liverpool?