According to a report in Mirror, Liverpool are considering a move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Pascal Gross in the upcoming transfer window.
Coach Jurgen Klopp is reportedly keen on signing a new attacking midfielder in January and having failed to sign Nabil Fekir in the summer, the German mastermind has set his sights on a relatively cheaper option in Gross. But, is he the right choice for the Reds?
Pascal Gross: Player profile
Pascal Gross has found immense success since moving to the Premier League last summer, notably being voted as Brighton’s player of the year last season.
Indeed, the former Ingolstadt midfielder played a key role in attack and was involved in as many as 15 goals in 38 matches, ultimately helping the Seagulls maintain their top-flight status.
Although Gross hasn’t been able to replicate last season’s performance so far, largely due to lack of fitness, his qualities in the centre of the pitch make him an ideal target for Liverpool.
The 27-year-old is mainly a central midfielder, even though he was utilized in a more attacking role by coach Chris Hughton last season. Although he may not be the most technically astute midfielder in the world, attaining a pass accuracy of 77%, Gross’ excellent creative output is what makes him a top class playmaker.
Indeed, the former Hoffenheim starlet averaged an astounding 3 key passes per game in each of his two seasons in the Bundesliga before moving to Brighton, where he still managed an excellent rate of 2.2.
Most of his chances come from set-pieces, which is one of his biggest assets while the German midfielder is also an aggressive operator in the middle, which makes him a key component in his side’s pressing scheme.
Why Liverpool need Pascal Gross?
While not many would have envisaged the player as a possible signing for Liverpool, Shaqiri’s success shows there is value to be found in the so-called ‘smaller’ clubs as well.
Klopp is confident enough to take such risks and trusts the players he signs to be able to come to grips with the step-up.
Pascal is a fantastic set-piece taker, who is equally good when it comes to providing through balls or retaining possession with strong tackles in midfield and most of all, will bring some much-needed depth into the midfield department.
His work ethic and aggressive mentality are also ideally suited to Jurgen Klopp’s Gegenpressing scheme while his German background will surely help him get in sync with Klopp’s methods as well as his general tactics.
And most importantly, for a reported fee of only £15 million, Pascal Gross will definitely be a steal for Liverpool. The Reds have spent heavily and uncharacteristically in the last summer and a value addition like the German midfielder should not be hard to sanction for the board.
Stat courtesy: Whoscored
