Liverpool, who have witnessed a revolution under Jurgen Klopp, will look to strengthen their squad in the summer in order to make another attempt at winning the Premier League next season. A key area which comes to mind is the number nine position which seems like a worry for the German manager with no adequate backup available to him in the absence of Roberto Firmino. Divock Origi has come up with the goods in a couple of vital games this season but his consistency in the event of a regular run of games is up for questioning.
According to a report from the Guardian, Celta Vigo striker Maxi Gomez has been on the radar of the Merseyside club. The 22-year-old striker has struck 13 goals and assisted five times in his 35 appearances for the Célticos across all competitions.
The young Uruguayan who plies his trade in the Spanish top flight has a release clause of £43m and has garnered the interest of many top clubs with the likes of West Ham United and Tottenham Hotspur all willing to pay the buy-out clause for the Celta Vigo number 9.
What will Maxi Gomez add to the Liverpool side filled with superstars
Maxi Gomez comes from the land of players like Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani who have proven their mettle in European top-flight football. The 22-year-old is a versatile number nine whose overall play from his positioning awareness to his aerial presence to his presence inside the box, all seem fairly adequate at such a young age.
The Uruguayan excels at a lot of things with his aerial ability touted as the best characteristic of the young striker. His physicality and aggressive nature on the pitch not only help him bully opposition defenders and win aerial duels on the pitch but this nature in the Uruguayan’s play also makes sure he excels as a target man to hold the ball for his team in attacking transitions.
The young striker often drops between the centre-back and the fullback markers to link up with his teammates and his ability to ease in the blind spots of a centre-back makes him a natural threat inside the box. The 22-year-old’s bullying of the defenders and usage of his physicality has already seen him draw comparisons to the likes of Diego Costa and Luis Suarez, which is high praise for such a young striker.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp, who has mastered the art of using half spaces on a football pitch to his advantage, can certainly use a striker of Maxi Gomez’ pedigree. The Uruguayan’s first touch and his positioning awareness make him a threat to any defence in the world. If there is one man who can maximize his potential to a team’s advantage, it’s the former Borussia Dortmund manager.
All these qualities make the 22-year-old Uruguayan a perfect fit for the Merseyside club. With four competitions to play in England and with a manager like Klopp by his side who backs the youth, the Uruguayan can be sure of receiving an adequate amount of gametime to make a mark.
Stat Courtesy: Whoscored, Transfermarkt
Comment Text* Liverpool sh’ld barc up number nine