OPINION
Jurgen Klopp has every right to be delighted with the way his Liverpool side have performed in the past couple of Premier League seasons.
His fast-flowing football has led to back-to-back Champions League finals, as well as catapulted the Reds’ towards their first-ever Premier League title – a milestone that was only one point away from them last season.
That would be enough for many to sit back and praise the work that has been done in Merseyside – all but club legend Steve Nicol, who still believes that Klopp should have gone all out to sign Ajax defender Matthijs De Ligt this summer.
Speaking on ESPN, as quoted by the Daily Star, Nicol said: “De Ligt. Go get your £80m that you want and get De Ligt.”
The Anfield legend went on to imply that he believes Klopp didn’t make a move for Virgil Van Dijk’s international teammate because of the emergence of Joe Gomez after his injury.
“Maybe why there’s been no talk about them strengthening in there is maybe because Gomez, before he got injured, was playing very well,” added Nichol.
“Albeit it was a short period of time, so he’s not confirmed that that’s going to be his place at Liverpool.
“So maybe they’re thinking that he can step in there and play beside [Virgil] Van Dijk.”
There is no doubting the effect that Gomez has had at Liverpool since signing from Charlton, but the potential signing of De Ligt would have made the England international a distant memory.
Comparing the two’s stats via WhoScored, it is clear to see that the 19-year-old who had been a major upgrade to the Anfield defence.
De Ligt averaged more interceptions and blocks in front of goal last season, and also averaged a considerably higher amount of clearances for the Dutch side.
The 19-year-old was also dribbled past the same amount of times on average as Gomez, proving that there isn’t an area in which the England international is stronger.
De Ligt also comes from an Ajax background that promotes playing out from the back, which was highlighted in Champions League victories over Real Madrid and Juventus last season.
The Dutchman almost averaged 20 more passes per game, and still averaged a higher pass success rate with 89.9% of his passes reaching their intended target.
Nicol is right, De Ligt was most likely not signed because of the presence of Gomez in the Liverpool squad. However, the 22-year-old must now be thanking his lucky stars should that have been the reason the club decided to not make a move for the Ajax colossus.
