Pedro Chirivella is not a household name in England, despite the youngster being at Liverpool since 2013. He is not expected to feature in Jurgen Klopp’s plans much next season as the Liverpool manager already has a plethora of midfield options at his disposal. So, should Leeds United capitalise on the situation and make a move for Chirivella in the summer?
The 21-year-old is a defensive midfielder by trade and he could go a long way in strengthening Leeds’ forces in the middle of the park. With new manager Marcelo Bielsa at the helm, the Whites must forget their previous campaign and move forward – possibly even launch a fight for the Championship title next term.
But to do so, there are certain areas which require fixing and it goes without saying that Bielsa must make it a point to add depth to Leeds’ midfield area. To that end, a move for the youngster does make sense for the Yorkshire giants. Here’s a closer look at his profile to see if he is good enough for Leeds.
Who is Chirivella?
Born in 1997 in Spain, Chirivella joined Valencia at a young age. He rapidly progressed through the youth set-up and his impressive performances earmarked him for a bright future. Eventually, he joined Liverpool in 2013 and after spending a year with the academy, the Merseyside outfit offered him his first professional contract. Since then, he has managed to make just five appearances in all competitions for the Liverpool first-team.
In January 2017, he was sent out on loan to Go Ahead Eagles and he put in some fine performances for the Dutch giants. Subsequently, Chirivella was loaned out once again last summer to another Dutch club – Willem II, for whom he featured 35 times across all competitions, setting up four goals.
What is his style of play?
The youngster is an ideal No.6. During his time with the Liverpool Under-21 squad, Chirivella played predominantly at the base of the midfield. His strength lies in his ability to break up play, evidenced by his intelligent movement and composure. He might not score or provide assists as much but one can count on him to essay his responsibilities as a deep-lying playmaker.
That said, he is not someone who will do the dirty work but he could be the glue that holds a team together on the field.
What does the future hold?
One might argue that Leeds have a good number of midfielders with the likes of Ronaldo Vieira, Adam Forshaw and Kalvin Phillips all vying for a spot in the starting line-up. And while they are all talented, their approach can be a tad aggressive at times. For a long time Leeds have lacked the services of a true deep-lying playmaker, and given Chirivella’s skills, he could be the solution to their woes.
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