Liverpool has been linked with a move for the “next Luka Modric.”
There’s no harm in purchasing talent from the same club (or ownership group) more than once if you’re looking for players who will fit seamlessly into your team. Liverpool has recently acquired several members of their squad from Red Bull teams, and they may be looking to add another.
And now that the Reds have dropped their interest in Jude Bellingham, they will almost certainly be linked with a number of midfielders in the coming months. According to Goal’s Neil Jones, Salzburg’s Luka Sucic is one of several players “admired” by the club, with Transfermarkt estimating his market value at just 20 million euros (£17.6 million).
The young Croatian has been dubbed the “next Luka Modric,” but being dubbed the “next anyone” can be a heavy burden to bear, especially when it’s a countryman. Just ask former Liverpool midfielder Bruno Cheyrou, who Gerard Houllier famously compared to Zinedine Zidane but was nowhere near as good.
Sucic and Modric play similar positions on the right side of midfield for Salzburg, though manager Matthias Jaissle frequently deploys his team in a 4-4-2 formation with a diamond midfield, rather than the 4-3-3 used by Carlo Ancelotti at Real Madrid. However, the younger of the two players is far more likely to take a shot at goal, averaging nearly twice as many as his illustrious elder.
There aren’t many midfielders who take as many shots per 90 minutes as Sucic. While Austria is not one of Europe’s top five leagues, only five midfielders in England, France, Germany, Italy, or Spain attempted to score more often than he did last season, though his rate has since slowed slightly.
And his conversion rate has completely stalled, with none of Sucic’s 23 shots finding the back of the net this season. However, he has already surpassed his assist total for the entire 2021/22 season, and these things can fluctuate in waves, especially for a youngster still finding their way in the game. With five Opta-defined big chances set up, his season assist total of four appears to be reasonable.
Sucic demonstrated an ability to create chances in big games even when he wasn’t scoring as frequently. Last season, he set up four shooting chances in Salzburg’s Champions League draw at Sevilla, a match in which he also scored from the penalty spot. Would many players who had just turned 19 a week before have the guts to take a spot kick in such a big game?
The match in Spain also demonstrated his ability to move the ball up the field, with nine progressive carries and five progressive passes. A combined total of at least 14 when playing in midfield is relatively uncommon; for example, both Thiago Alcantara and Jordan Henderson hit this mark when Liverpool defeated West Ham earlier this season, but only the former has done so on the road (at Brentford) in 2022/23. Sucic’s 13 chances created this season are more than any other Reds midfielder.
The young man also appears to have the defensive side of the game covered, based on the limited data available. Sucic is Salzburg’s joint-top player this season in terms of final third possession regains per 90 minutes, with a 1.0 average that is equal to or better than what every member of Jurgen Klopp’s squad has mustered in the Premier League. This fact alone may endear the 20-year-old to Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
Sucic’s big move this summer might not be the best time for him. He suffered a serious knee injury last month and is unlikely to play for some time. The glimpses he has shown in his fledgling career undoubtedly mark the young Croatian down as a potential star.
Just keep the Modric comparisons to a minimum for the time being, eh?
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