Liverpool are reported to have interest in bringing Malick Thiaw to Anfield. According to Sky Italia, The Reds are set to rival AC Milan for the defender’s signature.
The report indicates that Milan have begun contact with the Schalke player. But Liverpool are claimed to provide “strong competition” against their wish to bring him to Italy.
Deja vu
This isn’t the first time Thiaw has been reported to be catching Liverpool’s eye.
The links first appeared via The Mirror in March 2020. At that time Thiaw had only played once in the Bundesliga for Schalke. Given his position as a centre-back and coming through the ranks at the German club, he drew predictable comparisons with Joel Matip.
Liverpool didn’t make a move for Thiaw at that time. The youngster reportedly had a release clause of £7m. But he ended the speculation by penning a new deal in the summer of 2020.
Speculation continues
Rumours resurfaced towards the end of the year as Jurgen Klopp dealt with an injury crisis. Sport Bild claimed that Liverpool ‘keep in regular contact’ with the defender through scouting.
Thiaw himself also fuelled the rumour mill, stating he was ‘happy’ about the reports linking him with Anfield. He said: “Of course you’re happy when big clubs are after you, but it was actually clear to me that I would stay at Schalke,” during an in-house interview with his current club.
Who is Malick Thiaw
If you’ve never heard of Thiaw before, don’t worry. He had only 23 Bundesliga appearances to his name before Schalke were relegated last season.
Since then he has become a regular for the 2. Bundesliga side. Born to a Senegalese father and a Finnish mother, he was part of the Germany side that played in last summer’s under-21 European Championship’s.
Do Liverpool need him?
Centre-back shouldn’t currently be a priority for Liverpool. Having signed Ibrahima Konate in the summer, they are now well stocked in that area.
Having said that, it doesn’t hurt to have such good young players in the squad. In Virgil Van Dijk, Thiaw would have the ultimate role-model. It may do his career the world of good to learn from the likes of Van Dijk and Matip without the pressure of playing immediately.
Joe Gomez’s future is also uncertain. It could be that Liverpool are planning for his eventual departure by investing in a younger player who would be happy with the minutes Gomez is getting at the moment.
This one has been rumbling on for a while. Now that AC Milan appear to have entered the frame, let’s see if Liverpool can persuade their man to Merseyside rather than the San Siro.
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