Versatile And A Proven Goal Scorer – Why Liverpool Should Go For This Ukrainian Midfielder

The Telegraph yesterday reported that Liverpool are set to battle it out with Tottenham for Dnipro’s Ukrainian winger Yehven Konoplyanka’s possible move to Liverpool, and while the deal is yet to be finalized, here are three reasons why he would be a good fit for Liverpool.

1. Versatility

Konoplyanka is primarily a left winger who likes to cut in onto his favored right foot, whether to pass or to shoot on goal. He also has the ability to take on defenders and beat them with trickery and pace. He is also equally capable of playing on the right hand side, and often swaps positions with Andriy Yarmolenko for the Ukrainian national team, who play a similar role on the right wing. Konoplyanka is also capable of playing through the middle as a support striker or behind the main striker in the hole.

His vision, passing ability and dribbling make him a real handful even in congested areas, and he has the ability to use the runs of players around him to make space for himself. This would suit him ideally at Liverpool as all of Liverpool’s forward players continuously swaps places and are always on the move, whether to have a dart beyond the opposition defense, or to make space for teammates by drawing defenders away from the ball.

2. Goal scorer

Konoplyanka is a proven goal scorer for both the national team as well as his club Dnipro. He has managed to score 33 goals to go with 27 assists in his 155 appearances for Dnipro in all competitions. He has also managed to find the net on a consistent basis for the national team, having scored 12 goals in 49 appearances for the youth and senior teams.

Konoplyanka has a lethal right boot and has scored quite a few goals from outside the penalty box after dribbling past players. He also has the awareness to make late runs into the box and has quite often found himself unmarked at the far post to score. Goals from players other than Sturridge and Suarez has been a problem- the duo have scored 36 out of the 53 goals Liverpool have scored in the Premier League- and Konoplyanka’s arrival will help address that problem.

(Stats Source: TransfrMarkt)

3. Right Profile

Liverpool’s owners FSG have been very particular as to the sort of players they are looking to sign, and Konoplyanka fits the role perfectly. At 24, he is young and has high potential resale value considering the fee is going to be in the region of £16m. He has been putting in outstanding performances for the Ukrainian national team for the past four years now, and he would slot in to Liverpool’s starting eleven.

According to international broadcaster John Bradley, who covers the Ukrainian League and has watched Konoplyanka’s rise through the ranks at Dnipro and his increasingly impressive performances for the Ukrainian national side, Liverpool would be signing a more proven player in Konoplyanka than missed target Mohamed Salah.

“He is a classic, old-style winger. He works really hard and looks to get the ball at his feet. He gave Kyle Walker a torrid time when he played for Ukraine against England and he has done the same in the Europa League and the Ukrainian League.

“Salah has burst onto the scene in the last 18 months or so but this boy has been doing it for the Ukrainian national team for four years. He is more the finished article.

“He is the best Ukrainian player of his generation and the best Ukrainian player since Shevchenko. I’ve rated him for a long, long time.”