James Pearce: The potential transfer Klopp ‘really, really likes’

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Our friends at AnfieldHQ did very well to get Echo journalist James Pearce on a recent podcast, and some of what he had to say was mighty interesting.

They asked the respected correspondent about the current plight of the team, Jurgen Klopp’s mistakes and how much blame FSG deserve – but what interested us was his comments on the summer transfer market.

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It’s very well publicised that Bayer Leverkusen’s Julian Brandt and Borussia Dortmund’s Christian Pulisic are our primary targets, but according to Pearce – Klopp fancies Brandt a little more – and luckily, he’s more readily available.

Here’s what Pearce had to say:

“I think common sense tells you the chances of Pulisic coming in the summer are quite heavily reduced but Brandt hasn’t signed a new contract as of yet. He’s one that Klopp really, really likes. Again, you wonder how much might depend on whether Liverpool can offer Champions League football because I think that is obviously a big pull. Klopp spoke about it towards the back end of last season and I know he said then that he didn’t want players that were simply motivated by that, but the bottom line is that’s where any player wants to be. The financial rewards of being in the Champions League would have a knock-on effect also in terms of the size of his budget in the summer.”

Brandt will definitely boost our frontline. He’s only 20 and has lots of improving to do, but he’s quick, a great dribbler and has an eye for goal. He’s already notched 17 goals and is a full Germany international.

He’d fit naturally in the side on the left, where Coutinho currently plays – which could see the Brazilian moving into a more traditional no.10 role, or perhaps back into a midfield three.

Either way, he’d be a brilliant addition – although for now – there’s 14 games for us to get the Champions League football which will more than make up for our miserable January.

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