Liverpool Transfer Special: 3 Players Who Have The Potential To Replace Gerrard (List Includes An Everton Star)

17 years at the club, 639 appearances, 182 goals, 10 major trophies and countless individual achievements. This man is debatably the best player in the history of Liverpool Football Club and one of the greatest players in the history of English Football.  But his career is reaching its twilight and for the betterment of the Liverpool and their players he has decided to say good bye to the club and will join MLS side LA Galaxy as a possible retirement home. His departure will also leave Liverpool officials, fans and his teammates in a trauma and the biggest task for the club and the manager will be to find a player who has the capability of filling the big boots of Gerrard in the Liverpool squad. It is impossible for any football lover to imagine Liverpool and the Premier League without Gerrard and it will be a huge task for any player to replace Gerrard. Currently, we have many young midfielders with great potential to become greats in the future. Here are three selected players whom Liverpool should target in order to replace Gerrard.

1. Ross

– (Everton)

Barkley is a 21 year old English midfielder who currently plays Liverpool’s bitter rivals Everton and is a prodigy of their youth system. Despite being just 21 years old, Ross has made 66 appearances for Everton out of which 55 are in Premier League and he has also made 11 appearances for the national team.

Barkley is a very versatile midfielder who comforts himself on the left flank, in the central midfield area and also in the number ten role. His major strengths are his flawless and fluid dribbling, excellent passing, brilliant hold up play, he acts as a link between players during counter attacks that is brilliant combination play and defensively he is very sound and contributes when needed. His other abilities are taking long shots and set pieces. As of now he does not have any significant weakness but there are chances they might be exposed later in the future.

Barkley is one of those players who is always aware of what is happening around him on the pitch, he is very calm and composed and also possesses the abilities to make sound decisions. These qualities are very rare in midfielders of his age. He also likes to play long balls as his average passing length this season is 17 meters while his accuracy is 90% which is a quiet mesmerizing figure, along with this he crafts more than 1.3 chances per game and makes 1 defensive contribution as well.

Barkley might be the one to replace Gerrard but it will be very difficult for the Reds to sign an Everton player.

2. James Ward-Prowse – (Southampton)

James Ward-Prowse is a 20 year old English midfielder who currently plays for Premier League side Southampton. James has made 64 appearances for Saints and has not yet got a call up for the England team but will definitely be a member of England squad in the future. Ward Prowse is playing for Southampton’s senior team since he was 17 years old and is a pass out of their youth system.

James is also an all round midfielder who plays on both flanks, in central and defensive midfield and also as a central attacking midfielder. For a player to adapt himself in different positions and role, he has to have numerous set of skills and James has most of them. His main strengths are his pinpoint passing and crossing, taking set pieces and corners, brilliant hold up play, his passes are also very productive and he also has the pace and dribbling to play for a counter attacking team. He has two major weaknesses; he is not very good in air and is kind of a bad tackler who gets booked while making tackles but these qualities can be improvised in the future because of his young age.

When played as a central midfielder, Ward Prowse shows great maturity and his passing accuracy this season is 89% and he creates at least 1.5 chances per game, also he likes to deliver long balls from the central mid area as his average passing length is 19 meters and he has played 39 long balls in last 21 Premier League games. When played as an attacking midfielder, he shows great composure and anticipates for his fellow forwards to make a move and then makes wise decisions.

Overall James Ward Prowse is a complete midfielder and a potential modern great whose name will be taken in the same brackets with Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Paul Scholes. The chances for Liverpool to get his signature will be quiet good provided they fulfill the economic needs of Southampton.

3. Miralem Pjanic – (AS Roma)

Miralem Pjanic is a 24 year old Bosnian midfielder who currently plays for the Italian giants AS Roma. Pjanic has made 110 appearances for Roma and is in the Bosnian senior team since 2008 and has made 56 appearances. He came out from the ranks of Bosnian team FC Metz and then joined Lyon made 90 appearances for them and then Roma signed him in 2011.

Pjanic is the most experienced midfielder among these there but is less skillful and versatile as compared to Barkley and Ward Prowse. Pjanic plays as a central midfielder or a deep lying playmaker (DLP) and also in the number ten role for Roma. His primary strengths as a central midfielder are his passing whether it be short passes; long range passes; through balls he is the master of all and his passes are accurate and effective as well, he is a prolific dribbler and a brilliant set piece taker. His other areas of strengths are his thunderbolt long rangers and direct free kicks he also possess the qualities of a leader. He has some weaknesses too as he is very weak in air and also he is not a very good tackler.

His style of play and job as a deep lying playmaker are very classified all he does is he tries to win possession either by tackling, intercepting passes or in the air and then creates chances for his forwards or passes the ball to the winger. He also likes to carry the ball himself  using  his fluid dribbling and good pace. When played in the central attacking position he plays like a textbook number ten and waits for the defensive midfielders to feed him with the ball and then makes sound decisions whether to carry the ball or pass it. As mentioned above, his passing is outrageously beautiful as his accuracy this season is 91% and he creates at least 2 or more chances per game. Also he is a proper team man who could do anything for his team.

Pjanic is a very strong contender to fill the boots of Gerrard but the chances of him leaving Roma are very less and even if Liverpool show desire to sign him his price tag will be very uneconomical and non FFP friendly for Liverpool.