Liverpool have not replaced Gini Wijnaldum since his departure, but they may have found an ideal replacement who can also solve the club’s Fabinho problem
Since the departure of Gini Wijnaldum, Liverpool has been looking for a solution to their midfield problems. The Dutchman was the last player who could competently cover for Fabinho in the holding midfield role in Fabinho’s absence, and Liverpool have been vulnerable since his departure
Since Wijnaldum’s departure, Liverpool has relied far too heavily on Fabinho, even rushing him back from injury to play in the Champions League final last season — that’s how important a cog he has been to Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool machine
The effects of that overload have been felt this season. Fabinho has appeared jaded and a shadow of the player who was once thought to be one of the best in his position. Liverpool’s midfield is currently disjointed and easy to exploit
A presence like Wijnaldum at his best would be a welcome addition to the Liverpool midfield, and if the Reds are serious about competing in the Champions League next season, they cannot afford to dither and wait until the summer to bolster their options
According to I News, one player being monitored by the club is Teun Koopmeiners, who the Reds have ‘watched in recent months’ and who, like Cody Gakpo, was a member of the Dutch national team at the World Cup
Koopmeiners, 24, has been catching the eye in Serie A this season and could be the ideal profile to finally fill the Wijnaldum void at Anfield. He is a robust and technically gifted midfielder who, like Xabi Alonso, is more of a holding midfielder with great distribution and excellent game reading than a tough tackling midfielder, but he is also capable of playing further forward in a box-to-box, attacking midfield role, making him the type of multi-faceted player Klopp loves to work with
Overall, he has played the vast majority of his club games in holding midfield, and while at Atalanta he was required to play a bit further forward, which reduced his defensive stats, looking at his numbers in the Eredivisie where he played in a more defensive role for AZ Alkmaar, similar to the one that would be required of him at Liverpool, Koopmeiners does show himself to be a competent defender
According to FBref, he ranked in the 87th percentile for tackles attempted and tackles won among his positional peers in the league, and he won 56% of his one-on-one defensive duels
Koopmeiners stood out for his ability to regain possession even during the World Cup. Following the conclusion of the group stages, Koopmeiners averaged the most tackles and interceptions per 90 for players who had played at least three halves of football, winning 6.88 according to FBref
Not only that, but Koopmeiners is the type of player who can break into the box or score from long range, and he could provide a defensive and offensive threat if used in a more box-to-box role as well. He, like Wijnaldum, is capable of playing both roles in midfield and is far from a one-dimensional player, which is exactly what the Liverpool midfield requires
Koopmeiners, who has an excellent range and lots of energy and is well suited to Klopp’s gegenpress, is valued at only $32 million (£27 million/€30 million) by Transfer market, making him an affordable option for the Reds even in the current window
If Liverpool is truly interested in him, he should make a January move while he is still relatively young and has the type of profile that would suit the club
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