Liverpool chasing “one of the best CMs in the world”

What a year this has been so far for Liverpool Football Club. Having wrapped up the Premier League title early, while their divisional rivals continued to work hard on the training pitch, the Reds were partying hard in Ibiza and Dubai. Not a bad life being a footballer, is it?

Since then, they’ve only sought to back up that league crown by strengthening significantly in the summer transfer window.

The market is only a few weeks old, yet Arne Slot and Co have wrapped up two signings in the shape of Jeremie Frimpong and Florian Wirtz. There’s more to come too.

Milos Kerkez is now reportedly due to arrive any day now from Bournemouth, while another Premier League defender, Marc Guehi, is earmarked as their next target.

Dare Liverpool fans dream of Alexander Isak too? The Newcastle forward remains a key target this summer.

But, while that happens in the background, there are more targets on Richard Hughes’ shortlist.

Liverpool eyeing one of the best young midfielders

It’s safe to say the Liverpool midfield has undergone something of a revamp over the last year or so.

After Fabinho and Jordan Henderson headed to Saudi, the Reds looked to add further bodies to their midfield but it hasn’t all been plain sailing in the transfer market, famously missing out on Romeo Lavia and Moises Caicedo to Chelsea.

They did sign Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, however, two players who enjoyed fabulous seasons on their way to winning the title. Gravenberch was nominated for the Premier League’s Young Player of the Season award, while Mac Allister is up for the PFA’s Player of the Season.

Despite Wirtz having now joined the fold too, FSG still aren’t content with their options and in the future, could make a move for PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery.

That’s according to journalist Graeme Bailey who revealed this weekend that Liverpool are eyeing up a move for the 19-year-old midfielder.

Speaking to Rousing the Kop, he said: “It looks like a few clubs are having a sniff around Zaire-Emery. Is he a generational talent Liverpool will try for if he suddenly becomes available? Possibly, they have done work on him before. That was primarily before Ryan Gravenberch’s rise.”

Why Zaire-Emery is so exciting

When Liverpool announced the signing of Wirtz this week, arriving in a move worth a British-record transfer fee of £116m, it wasn’t surprising.

After all, this move has been earmarked for several weeks now. However, it did send a statement to the rest of the Premier League.

Wirtz is no mug. In the words of former Leverkusen striker Patrick Helmes, the German is “probably the best midfielder in the world.”

High praise indeed and to back up those words, he scored 16 and registered 15 assists in 2024/25, phenomenal numbers.

Well, Zaire-Emery is certainly cut from a similar cloth. Wirtz made his Leverkusen debut at the tender age of 17 while PSG’s French sensation made his Ligue 1 bow for the Parisiens at 16. They’ve been around the block for a while and they’ve already impressed plenty.

The teenager’s agent, Jorge Mendes, has already described him as “one of the best midfielders in the world” while scout Jacek Kulig has suggested that he’s “one of the biggest talents of his generation in Europe.”

But, why all the hype? Well, as data analyst Ben Mattinson outlines, the 19-year-old is an “Mbappe at Monaco level of talent”, largely thanks to his blend of skills.

He’s “so secure on the ball,” states Mattinson. “He progresses the ball effectively from deeper zones, has good physicality and excellent body usage in duels” with a “quality passing range”.

You name it, Zaire-Emery has it. Traditionally a deeper-lying midfielder, the PSG star certainly possesses the tools to rival Gravenberch for a place in the midfield, and while less box-crashing than the Dutchman, he’d certainly provide an extra layer of class.

To underline his complete skillset, he ranks inside the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the last year for pass completion percentage, the best 14% for progressive carries and the top 15% for ball recoveries.

Truthfully, there’s very little Zaire-Emery can’t do. Perhaps the only area would be his ability to score goals – finding the net three times in 2024/25 – but as a deep-lying player, he’s not really required to do that.

Either way, this would be a phenomenal capture for Liverpool. Like Wirtz, he’s one of the most exciting young talents in European football right now.

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