Liverpool have been addressing the biggest issue that destroyed their hopes of a successful season last year: the midfield.
Reds manager Jurgen Klopp has already signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton & Hove Albion for £35m and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for £60m, with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia subject to two bids from the Anfield side as they look to further improve the centre.
With Jordan Henderson and Fabinho both headed for Saudi Arabia, Klopp might be inclined to secure another signing to ensure his side does not get exposed, and given the recent update regarding Leeds United’s Tyler Adams, Liverpool might look into the possibility of a deal.
Is Tyler Adams joining Liverpool?
Last month, TEAMtalk reported that Liverpool were interested in signing Adams following the Whites’ relegation from the Premier League, but the £40m demands were seemingly a deterrent and the Anfield side pushed no further.
But now, a fresh update could prompt Klopp to return for the USMNT international, with The Athletic, ever-reliable, revealing that the 24-year-old actually has a £20m release clause in his contract.
How good is Tyler Adams?
Since arriving at Elland Road for around £20m one year ago to replace Manchester City-bound Kalvin Phillips, Adams managed to impress despite the disarray Leeds found themselves in.
As per Sofascore, the defensive midfielder scored an average rating of 6.98 – as per Sofascore – in the Premier League across his 24 outings, which was bettered only by youngster Darko Gyabi, who started just twice.
Adams completed 82% of his passes throughout the campaign and averaged a key pass every match from his role deep in the Whites’ midfield, notably dazzling with his defensive output, where he averaged 3.7 tackles and 1.5 interceptions per game, also succeeding with 55% of his ground duels.
Compare this to the languid output of Fabinho, who only won 48% of his ground duels, averaged 1.8 tackles and one interception per game, and it’s clear to see that Liverpool could utilise such a high-octane force.
Adams’ work rate and tenacity is best illustrated by FBref, displaying his ranking among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues for tackles and the top 3% for interceptions per 90, leading Kevin Campbell to appropriately name him a “tackling machine”.
The 24-year-old looks to have the making of a first-rate star, and the mere fact that he has suffered the ignominy of relegation should not dissuade Klopp from negotiating a deal; it hasn’t before.
Indeed, Andrew Roberton, Xherdan Shaqiri and Gini Wijnaldum are all examples of Liverpool’s recent success in swiping players from clubs to have faced the fall into the English second tier, with the latter perhaps the typifier of why it is an investment worth making.
Wijnaldum joined the Reds from Newcastle United for £25m as a 25-year-old in 2016, going on to make 237 appearances and winning a wealth of major honours, including the Premier League and Champions League, and was deemed “irreplaceable” by Richard Jolly for conducting his industrious work in the centre of Klopp’s midfield.
Given that Adams boasts a similar tenacious approach and would arrive at Anfield roughly the same age as the Dutchman, it might be wise for Klopp to look to repeat the trick and provide his side with a steely new force to be reckoned with.