We have more important concerns though. We need a back up for Andy Robertson that has to be the priority especially in a challenging financial year. Andy is already picking up niggly injuries, we are too reliant on him, surely that has to take priority over a signing of this nature.
We’re not going to spend any significant sums on a backup for Robbo. Firstly, he’s arguably the best LB in the world so you’re asking someone to come in as a backup. That’s either a) a youngster or b) an older player who’s happy to play less.
If it’s a) we have Williams and Larouci. Obviously Williams is primarily a RB but he’s fairly two-footed and if he wants a long career with us (as his talent suggests he could well achieve) then his best bet is to develop into a player that can play LB AND RB. Trent is just too young and too good. Lauroci seems we’ll regarded by Klopp and the staff. But it’s hard to see us bringing a young LB in, with the possible exception of someone like Ben White from Leeds who can play CB and LB.
We’ve not been linked with anyone for b). I’d love top class backups in every position but it’s not always easy to find players willing to come in as backups with the right attitude and for the right money. We look a very different proposition with Milner or Gomez at LB, finding someone who can provide a similar attacking threat to Robbo without compromising defensive ability will be exceptionally difficult (Moreno anyone...?)
In any event, a backup LB isn’t going to cost the earth and certainly shouldn’t preclude us making a major signing in parallel. I’d personally rather have a fast, versatile attacking player as a backup/alternate to our front three but clearly Werner was due to be that player and we’ve not been linked with anyone since. Given that we’ve Salah, Mo, Bobby, Elliot, Shaqiri, Minamino, Brewster, Origi and Wilson on the books, maybe Klopp will look internally for attacking options.
I will say though that if a team doesn’t evolve they will eventually stagnate. We play an effective brand of football with our main threats coming through long passes for pacy forwards and the creative quality of our full backs. There is a risk that teams will eventually “find us out” to an extent, and if Klopp/LFC decide that bringing in a player like Thiago, who offers something that our current midfielders don’t, benefits the squad then he might be a logical move.
I doubt we’ll sign him for the reasons mentioned above, but I think after the collapse of the Werner deal and some real uncertainties regarding who we might be able to sell, it’s very hard to accurately guess who we might look to buy.
