Liverpool reportedly had scouts in attendance at a Champions League fixture in midweek to keep tabs on a young playmaker who got his name on the scoresheet.
In the Reds’ own European fixture on Tuesday night, Ryan Gravenberch started in the number 10 role before switching to right-back for the second half after Florian Wirtz – a more natural fit in attacking midfield – replaced Ronald Araujo.
It appears that Anfield recruitment staff are keeping tabs on a youngster from eastern Europe who could potentially provide backup or competition for the Germany international.
Liverpool scouts watched Aleksey Batrakov
According to TEAMtalk, scouts from Liverpool and Arsenal watched Galatasaray playmaker Aleksey Batrakov score in his team’s 4-2 win away to Lille in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Chelsea and both Manchester clubs are also said to be interested in the 21-year-old, who joined the Turkish champions from Lokomotiv Moscow in the summer after the Istanbul side moved on from their previous interest in Bruno Fernandes.
The 21-year-old reportedly has a £50m release clause in his contract, more than twice what his current club paid for him in August, and he’s become theoretically easier for English suitors to sign since moving to Turkiye, as UK government sanctions had made a direct transfer from his native Russia impossible.
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Batrakov seems tailor-made for Iraola’s tactics
Batrakov has now scored in consecutive Champions League games for Galatasaray, with his other goal coming against Barcelona last week, and it seems that he’s developing a knack for delivering on the big stage.
Interestingly, a scout report from Breaking The Lines which was published during last season declared that ‘Bournemouth under Andoni Iraola represents a strong fit’. The Basque has obviously moved to a different club in Liverpool, but we suspect that the 21-year-old would still slot nicely into the coach’s philosophy.
The Scouting App describes him as ‘an excellent prospect’ who stands out for his ‘technical qualities, decision-making, understanding of the game and strong attitude’, along with boasting an ‘elite work rate’.
Those are attributes which’ appear to make him a good fit for the Reds under Iraola, and his standing at Anfield is sure to have risen after scoring in front of Merseyside scouts in midweek.
His exploits for Galatasaray could be well worth watching in the remainder of this season’s Champions League, and we suspect that he mightn’t be putting down roots in Istanbul for especially long if he keeps up his current form.