Ruben Neves:
Porto's Ruben Neves has been strongly linked to a move to England ever since Jurgen Klopp arrived at Anfield.
The 18 year old became the youngest ever captain in the Champions League when he lead his team out against Maccabi Tel Aviv earlier on in this season’s competition.
He is a central midfielder who tends to sit deep and has been recommended to Klopp by Liverpool’s first team development coach Pepijn Lijnders, who worked with him at Porto.
Neves has been praised for his mental strength as well as his technical ability on the ball. His rapid rise to stardom and the qualities he has shown that have helped him become captain at Porto makes him an ideal suit to a Liverpool side in need of more leaders and energy. His aggression would help him adapt to the physicality of the Premier League while his composure and creativity on the ball would make him an asset to Liverpool’s midfield.
With his potential already showing, he could add real balance to a position that is regularly alternated between the use of Lucas Leiva’s defensive stability, Emre Can’s energy and power and the passing qualities of both Jordan Henderson and James Milner.
Mario Suarez:
Could the name 'Suarez' soon be seen on the back of a Liverpool shirt again? The answer will be yes if Fiorentina midfielder Mario Suarez has anything to say about it. Sorry to those Liverpool fans who got excited.
Reports coming out of Italy suggest the former Atlético Madrid man is keen on forcing through a move to Anfield. At 28 years of age, the defensive midfielder would pose as experienced cover for the likes of Lucas Leiva and Emre Can. He would also arrive having played at the very highest level after being part of the Atlético Madrid squad that won La Liga and made it to the Champions League final.
Suarez's experience of playing under Diego Simeone ensures he would fit in with Jurgen Klopp's mutual wish for high intensity football and tireless pressing of the opposition.
Despite this, he is currently struggling in Italy and has been a substitute for the last six matches. Liverpool are in need of players at the top of their game that can arrive and immediately increase the competition for places. It is worth noting that Lucas, who struggled across 2014/2015, completed 56 out of the 132 tackles he attempted last season, bettering Suarez who completed just 19 out of 56.
It is fair to say that Liverpool fans will be more hopeful of seeing youngsters break through into the first team as opposed to the signing of Suarez, despite the player's impressive CV.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang:
The appointment of Jurgen Klopp as manager was always going to be followed by transfer rumours linking players from his former club, Borussia Dortmund, to Liverpool.
One of those names is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. The Gabon striker has been a player talked about around Liverpool for some time now, with reports always seeming to suggest that he could make the move to England.
The signing of Aubameyang would be a logical one. His pace and power with the ball would make him an ideal candidate to give the side some much needed width while his goal-scoring form this season evidences just how well he could replace the injury prone Daniel Sturridge. His style of play would help combat the lack of speed and would help where Liverpool seem to be struggling in terms of getting the ball forward quickly.
He has already scored 17 goals in 15 games for Dortmund this season and would be a vital addition to a Liverpool side that have struggled to score goals of late.
Recent speculation insists Barcelona are leading the race for his signature, though you cannot write Liverpool off with Klopp now as manager- a reality that should excite fans.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen:
Barcelona goal keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen is one of the more recent names to be linked to a move to Liverpool. Most fans would agree that the arrival of Ter Stegen would be huge for the club.
Simon Mignolet, so far, has failed to convince with the ball at his feet- an increasingly important attribute for a keeper in modern day football. Barcelona’s Ter Stegen only seems to feature in the Champions League for his side, however has impressed with both his shot stopping and composure on the ball. He carries out his business in a similar manner to Manuel Neuer in terms of playing the role of ‘sweeper-keeper’ which would be crucial in helping Liverpool play out from the back.
The presence of the German keeper at the back would certainly give the players more confidence than Mignolet does at the moment. The 23 year old has the potential to be one of the world’s best and has the years on Mignolet that will allow him to achieve this. While his ability is undoubted, there would be obvious question marks over the length of time it would take him to adapt to the physical nature of the Premier League- as proven by the similarly slight David De Gea when he struggled to begin with in England.
Cristian Tello:
Barcelona winger Cristian Tello is another player that Liverpool have been linked to. The direction with Tello would be clear in terms of filling the wing position.
The 24 year old is currently on loan at Porto but looks likely to leave at the end of the deal. Though it may not eventually be Tello that Klopp turns to, the interest clearly highlights the intention to bring in a player that will give the side width in order to play to Christian Benteke’s aerial strengths.
It will be an interesting January transfer window for Liverpool fans to track. Klopp might think twice before bringing in another striker given the likely return of Danny Ings at the end of the season- who will undoubtedly be given the chance to prove himself to the new manager. Similarly, the addition of a new striker could also be decided by Daniel Sturridge’s fitness status nearer the time.
A search for a long term central defender is more likely given the uncertainty surrounding Dejan Lovren and Martin Skrtel, the age of Kolo Toure and the injury to Joe Gomez. Moreover, the club could turn a greater focus towards bringing in someone that can offer width and pace in order to match the intense and fast paced football Klopp loves his team to play.
Follow Cameron on Twitter @CameronHogwood
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