Jürgen Klopp may have given Liverpool £30m transfer hint to FSG after Brentford draw

Jürgen Klopp may have given Liverpool £30m transfer hint to FSG after Brentford draw

Liverpool Echo Sports·2021-09-28 06:00

As the dust settled on Liverpools breathless 3-3 draw with Brentford, attacking reinforcements were probably not the first thing on Jürgen Klopps mind. There were some squandered chances, not least from Mohamed Salah with the game finely poised at 3-2, but the glaring problem was the three goals shipped at the other end.However, the man responsible for the defences major problems may well have caught the eye of both Klopp and FSG. Ivan Toney did not get on the score-sheet, but he tormented Virgil van Dijk and Joël Matip throughout the game. The immediate task will be to dissect exactly what went wrong in Liverpools defensive strategy, but Toney could well be getting filed away in the long-term transfer targets draw.The manager was seen in conversation with the forward there can be little doubt that Klopp will have admired his performance. After all, precious few players cause Liverpools defence those kinds of problems, particularly since Van Dijks return. Naturally, this alone is nowhere near enough to conclude that Liverpool may wish to line up a transfer move for Toney, but there are plenty of things about him which will appeal to FSG and Klopp alike.From the managers perspective, theres the fact that Klopp loves a story. If reports are to be believed, he was the driving force behind tentative interest in Patrick Bamford this summer. Like the Leeds marksman, Toneys story is one of failing to make the grade at a Premier League club before stubbornly working his way back up the ladder. His loan spells away from Newcastle United included Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United and Wigan Athletic, while he caught Brentfords eye after moving permanently to Peterborough United.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesFSG will like the fact that there is a chance to jump on this story far earlier than with Bamford. Toney is still just 25, approaching his prime but with plenty of time to develop and settle further at the top level. With all of Liverpools traditional front three aged 29, a transfer move for the Brentford man would fit with the refresh plan supposedly in place for next summer.Equally, FSG will no doubt be eager to buy from Brentford. Like Liverpool, the London club are hugely statistics-focused: as a smaller team, the Bees are able to implement a far purer form of moneyball. As a result, while the Anfield hierarchy know they will not be getting any bargains from Brentford, they will be emboldened by the intricate analysis that prompted Thomas Franks side to make a move in the first place.This holds true with Toney, just as it did with a previous striker through the Brentford system: Ollie Watkins. Liverpool were linked with him at one stage, before he ultimately went to Aston Villa in a £30m move. At the time, FSG may have had some reservations about whether the forwards form would translate into the Premier League Watkins has impressed in the top flight, vindicating the Brentford recruitment process.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated ArticlesEqually, with Brentford now a Premier League team, Liverpool have a more relevant sample to assess. That may also mean that the price tag could end up being higher for Toney than it was for Watkins, but the £30m deal certainly gives a good benchmark. The strikers are even within a few months of each other in age.The tactical ins-and-outs of signing Toney can be dissected elsewhere, but suffice to say that the 25-year-old is in the top 25% of forwards in Europes top five leagues for pressures per 90. He is also in the top 10% for aerials won, which could add an interesting new dimension to Liverpools relatively cross-heavy attack. It is easy to see him slotting nicely into Klopps system.A few words exchanged at full time are far from conclusive, but both Jürgen Klopp and FSG have good reason to keep a transfer move for Ivan Toney in mind.Read MoreRelated ArticlesRead MoreRelated Articles

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