Why Liverpool Should Consider Signing Gael Clichy In The Summer
Manchester City have been taking some serious strides towards lifting the Premier League title next season as Pep Guardiola has already started his transfer business. He has let go of a number of players already and one such player who is attracting interest from Jurgen Klopp at Anfield is full-back Gael Clichy.
The French international was out of a contract at the end of the recently concluded season and Pep Guardiola thinks that he is surplus to requirements and hence let him leave on a free transfer. The 31-year old with 20 appearances for the national side is one of the most experienced full-backs in England at the moment.
In 8 years at the Emirates, Clichy played 187 games for Arsenal, before moving to Manchester City. He became an instant hit at the Etihad and made 141 appearances in just 6 years at the club. Spending his entire senior football career in England, it is hard to see Clichy leaving the Premier League and it is Liverpool who have taken the initiative of keeping him in England.
A genuine left-back whose strength is his ability to hold on to the ball and make clean tackles at the back, Clichy is a defensively minded full-back who loves to keep his side of the play away from danger. He is decent in his passing and crossing abilities but is more concerned about the defensive side of the game and is a player Liverpool can do with at the moment.
The Reds are using James Milner as the first choice left-back in the current squad while Alberto Moreno, the only other choice, is expected to leave the club anytime now. They are looking at some precious stars like Ryan Sessegnon but it will not be easy for Liverpool to integrate them into the first team straight away, and this is where Clichy might be helpful.
Milner has done a great job playing as a left-back this season and unless Liverpool buy a long term replacement, he should stick to that position. But with Liverpool competing on all four fronts, they will need a player who can play in the cup games or during contingencies and there are very few options more dependable than Clichy.
He may not be exciting but he is a player who will not give Liverpool fans too much to complain about and coming in as a free agent, he can surely be a temporary fix to their full-back problems. However, at 31, he is not a long-term solution and Klopp will still be looking at players who can own that role at Anfield.
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