Liverpool have entered the race to sign highly-rated Rennes teenager Eduardo Camavinga, according to a report from Spanish media outlet Sport, with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Tottenham also believed to be in contention for his signature.
According to Sport, the Ligue 1 club value the 17-year-old defensive midfielder so highly that they would likely refuse to entertain any offers of less than €50m (£45.6m) for him and have warned prospective suitors that they will be firm in negotiations for him. However, a projected slowdown of the transfer market due to coronavirus concerns could prompt Rennes to lower their asking price.
Why might Liverpool be interested in Eduardo Camavinga?
Despite only turning 17 last November, the young midfielder already has quite a bit of top-flight experience, with 43 first team appearances for Rennes (including 32 in Ligue 1 and four in the Europa League) since making his debut against Angers just under a year ago. He is a regular presence in their line-up, starting 24 league matches already this season in spite of his tender years.
As noted by Bleacher Report, he already has a sponsorship deal with Nike and his reputation soared even higher after a sumptuous assist he provided for Romain Del Castillo’s winning goal against Paris Saint-Germain in the early weeks of this season.
He has already proven himself capable of excelling at top-flight level, with superb match averages of 4.3 successful tackles and 1.4 interceptions in Ligue 1 – the former figure is the highest of anyone in the division. He is more than a mere midfield destroyer, though, showing his comfort in possession of the ball with a match average of 0.8 successful dribbles, helping him to draw 2.4 fouls per game. He is also economical with his use of the ball, recording a passing success rate of 87.7% in Ligue 1 – this rises to 90.6% in the Europa League – while a long ball average of 2.5 per game shows that he has a good range to his passing.
How does Camavinga measure up to Liverpool’s current midfielders?
Even at 17, the youngster is already posting figures that far outstrip those of Liverpool’s current midfield options. Nor is he playing at a far inferior level – Ligue 1 is fifth in UEFA’s association club coefficient over the past five seasons, just three places lower than the Premier League.
Camavinga’s average of 4.3 successful tackles per game is almost twice that of Jordan Henderson, who with 2.2 is Liverpool’s best performer in this regard (as per WhoScored). Defensive midfielder Fabinho, an ex-Ligue 1 player with Monaco, has won 2.1 tackles per game, just under half the average put up by the Rennes teenager. His interception average of 1.4 per game is better than any of the Reds’ midfielders and pipped only by Joel Matip (1.5) among Jurgen Klopp’s squad (as per WhoScored).
Camavinga also completes more dribbles per game than Henderson (0.6) and Fabinho (0.4), while of all the midfielders to have started a Premier League match for Liverpool in 2019.20, only Georginio Wijnaldum (90.9%) and Naby Keita (88.9%) have a better passing success rate than him. His long balls per game average is superior to that of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (1.6) and Wijnaldum (one).
Liverpool’s midfield options are set to be depleted slightly by the expected summer departure of Adam Lallana (as per Liverpool Echo), while current defensive midfielder Fabinho has come under fire from some Reds fans over recent performances. Camavinga would not come cheap but he already looks very comfortable at a high level of football and, at just 17, there is every chance that his game will become even more refined than it already is. He already looks like a player who would raise the level of Liverpool’s midfield were he to come to Anfield and could push Fabinho hard for his place in the team.
Liverpool fans, would you like to see the club making a move for Camavinga this summer? Comment below with your views!
