Jurgen Klopp can finally get his hands on Julian Brandt this summer, according to reports. Now the Liverpool boss needs to decide if it’s time to make a move.
Ruhr Nachrichten claims Borussia Dortmund will sell Julian Brandt this summer. The 25-year-old appears destined for the exit door just two years after joining the club from Bayer Leverkusen.
And this could hand Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp an opportunity they won’t want to miss.
Klopp to finally get Brandt?
The Sunday Times claims Klopp wanted to bring Brandt to Liverpool back in 2017. He saw him as the ideal signing that summer before others convinced him to get Mohamed Salah.
Now, thank God they convinced him but there’s a belated opportunity here to have both. Brandt may even be a better fit now than he was then.
There are two gaps in the squad, after all. Gini Wijnaldum’s departure leaves one in midfield, while the Reds need reinforcements up front.
Brandt could actually fill both of those gaps. He’s a player who initially broke in as a winger – leading to Klopp’s initial interest – but played arguably the best football of his career from midfield.
He formed a wonderful midfield partnership with Kai Havertz back in the 18/19 season, resulting in his move to Dortmund. It saw Brandt score seven and assist 11 from midfield across the Bundesliga campaign.
That’s a wonderful return, especially as he shared the spotlight with Havertz.
Brandt hasn’t replicated that with Dortmund and actually found himself out of the starting lineup a lot over the last season. There’s a reason they want to sell, after all.
But that means he should be available at a discount. Liverpool don’t appear to have much money left this summer, after all, with the Athletic claiming the Reds must sell to buy going forward.
Someone like Brandt feels ideal, then. Dortmund won’t value him at his full potential but at what he is to them – which is a rather middling midfielder.
To Liverpool, though, Brandt could end up being a versatile attacking player who can cover multiple positions and operate in a supporting role. If they can help him rediscover his previous form, of course.
But we’d back them to do just that. Liverpool could secure a player Klopp apparently rates highly who can fill a gap in their squad. We don’t know the exact price Dortmund want, though if it’s anything reasonable then there’s a chance here.