Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has been urged to sign Leicester star James Maddison, and use the midfielder in place of Champions League winner Gini Wijnaldum.
That’s the advice of Reds legend Steve Nicol, anyway, who reckons the England international would fit in perfectly at Anfield.
So far Liverpool have announced just the signing of Sepp van den Berg, with the announcement of Fulham starlet Harvey Elliott not looking a million miles away.
Nicol was asked if he’d like to see his former club sign anyone during the remainder of the transfer window. “Maybe a starter, for me [he would be] a starter, James Maddison,” he told ESPN.
“He’s a player who does in my opinion all the things that Klopp wants his middle three to do right now. You put him in the middle. I’d suggest because Jordan Henderson’s the captain right now it’d have to be ahead of Gini Wijnaldum.
“I think Wijnaldum starts right now because he has a goal or two in him but for me Maddison would take over that because he has a goal or two in him [as well].
“He’s a guy that gets around, does the hard work, can get from box to box and has an eye for a pass. You’ve got a player coming in [in Maddison] who makes the starting eleven better already.”
It’s definitely interesting to hear someone suggest the manager replace a player who was crucial to our Champions League comeback against Barcelona.
I can understand Nicol finding it difficult to shift Fabinho and the skipper from midfield, but it does come across a little harsh on the Dutchman.
Maddison would be a fine addition to Klopp’s team, but he’s been heavily linked with a move to Manchester United, and would cost around £60million which really doesn’t sound like a move the German would sanction.