Liverpool could make a move for Brighton & Hove Albion midfielder Pascal Gross in a bid to replace Georginio Wijnaldum in the Reds midfield. Gross has impressed for the Seagulls since signing for them in 2017 from Ingolstadt.
Tutto Mercato Web has reported that Jurgen Klopp could make a move for his compatriot, who had a strong season for Brighton in the 2020-21 campaign. Pascal Gross has also attracted interest from Serie A sides apart from Liverpool. Gross has made 137 appearances for Brighton in all competitions, scoring 15 goals and assisting 25 times. In the recently-concluded Premier League season, the German set up the most goals for Brighton, assisting 8 times in 34 appearances.
The German has just one year remaining on his deal with Brighton and will be able to speak to other clubs from January to engineer a free transfer at the end of next season.
Pascal Gross: What will he add to their team?
Jurgen Klopp and the Liverpool management have the tough task of finding a replacement for Wijnaldum. The Dutchman was a key figure in the Reds team, adding energy and creativity from midfield. The Premier League side will miss the dominating presence and the energy and work rate he brought in the centre of the park.
Pascal Gross is a midfielder who has caught the eye in recent seasons while playing for Brighton. The 30-year-old is a hard-working midfielder who offers the Seagulls something in attack and defence. The German is a creative player who can unlock defences with his passing in the final third and is good at delivering balls into the box from set-piece situations. Gross seems to find himself in the right place on the pitch to chip in with a goal or assist, something which will be accentuated in a more attacking team like Liverpool.
Adept at playing the ball long as well as keeping it on the ground, Pascal Gross averaged 2.7 long balls per game in the Premier League in the 2020-21 season and played 2.1 key passes per game. The Brighton midfielder is capable of playing in a variety of roles in midfield – as a defensive midfielder, central midfielder or as the attacking midfielder – and has also played as a right-sided midfielder.
He is unafraid to put in a tackle and cause a nuisance for the opposition in midfield and also has good work rate. The German’s passing and creativity, as well as his ability to score a goal or two, makes him a decent option for Klopp.
Gross may not have the exact attributes that Wijnaldum possesses, but he has different qualities to the Dutch midfielder, which could make him a useful player for Klopp. An experienced player, Gross could settle in quickly in the Reds team as he already has prior experience of playing in the Premier League.