Jurgen Klopp’s men may go trophyless yet another season if they are unable to get the better of European Champions Real Madrid in Kyiv in a week’s time. But that does not take away the amount of progress the German manager has overseen in his stint at Anfield.
With the transfer window already open, he is looking to add quality to his side to compete with the best yet again next season and one such superstar, extensively linked with a move to the club is Jan Oblak.
Oblak Speaks About Atleti Future:
A transfer target for the likes of PSG and Arsenal, Jan Oblak has been extensively linked with a move away from the Spanish capital in recent times. His current contract with the La Liga giants runs till 2021 but that includes a release clause of €100m, which needs to be triggered if any team wants to even have a dialogue.
The Slovenian has recently added fire to the speculations and said that he does not yet know where his future lies. He seemed reluctant to pledge his future to Atletico Madrid, which will surely catch Liverpool’s interest. They will still have to pay his release clause but do they really need him?
Oblak And His Potential:
Having replaced Thibaut Courtois as the first choice for Diego Simeone’s side back in 2014, the 25-year old has probably the best defensive unit in front of him but that does not put any of Oblak’s heroics in the shadow.
With 22 clean sheets in 36 La Liga games this season, Oblak has conceded just 20 goals and made an astonishing two saves per game from inside the penalty area on an average. This is right up there with the best in Europe, but the fact that this is the second season that Oblak has registered such figures shows that he is a top-class goalkeeper.
He was named in the La Liga team of the season for the last two seasons and is also named in the Europa League team of the season for this year. The fact that he already has 18 appearances for the national side to add to 115 La Liga appearances, all at just 25 years of age, makes him potentially one of the best keepers in the world at the moment.
But Do Liverpool Need To Spend Big On Him?
His inclusion will make any team better and for a side that has struggled with goalkeeping issues for almost a decade now, spending around €100m to solve the problem for years to come, makes lots of sense.
But Liverpool have Loris Karius, who has statistically been the best shot stopper in the Champions League and also the best in the PL, since the turn of the year. The German, though a bit erratic, has been solid at the back and is slowly filling the fans with confidence.
He was the second best shot-stopper in Bundesliga the season before he signed for Liverpool and Klopp, who loves to give his players a chance to grow, is not one to ditch his fellow countryman soon.
Oblak surely is an upgrade on Karius but Liverpool’s links with Gianluigi Buffon makes more sense. The Italian can act as a mentor to not just Karius but Danny Ward as well, who is waiting patiently for his turn. But do you think it is time for Liverpool to step up and spend on established stars like Oblak?
Stats Courtesy: Squawka