Liverpool fans will be excited seeing the progress their team has made under Jurgen Klopp since his appointment last year. The German is using this transfer window to bring in quality reinforcements who can improve the team further. The Reds have signed midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum in a £25 million deal with Newcastle. Given the hefty transfer fees, one feels he will be an integral part of Klopp’s plans for next season. The Dutch international made 38 top-flight appearances in his first season in England after a £11.4m move to St James’s Park from PSV Eindhoven last summer.
Wijnaldum will have to work hard to make a place for himself in an already congested midfield containing the likes of Mane, Lallana, Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino, Sheyi Ojo and even James Milner who played there sometimes last season. One man who appears under the most threat is Adam Lallana, who is currently furthest in the pecking order. Let us compare Lallana and Wijnaldum’s stats and figure out whether Lallana future is actually under threat or not.
Wijnaldum scored 11 times for the Magpies last season in comparisons to Lallana’s four goals. The Dutchman was one of the few bright spots in what was a disastrous season for Newcastle, while Lallana struggled to really cement a place in Klopp’s starting XI, though he did look to have improved leaps and bounds. However, the English international did have one more assist than Wijnaldum. The former Southampton player had 1.5 shots per game and created 1.6 chances per game in comparison to Wijnaldum’s 1.4 shots per game and 1.3 chances per game.
The fact that Mane has also arrived this summer means that the competition has just got that much tougher and with Philippe Coutinho, Roberto Firmino and Daniel Sturridge firmly established in their respective roles, it’s looking more like Lallana is going to have to be content with a place on the bench next season.
Lallana did not have the best start to his Liverpool career but did show immense improvement over the last 6 months. Although he has linked up well with the likes of Coutinho and Firmino, there are strong doubts regarding his finishing ability in the box. There is a major opinion split between the Liverpool fans regarding the importance of Lallana in the team. We shouldn’t forget about Henderson and Milner, who will also be competing for a place in the attacking third.
Although it doesn’t look like Lallana will move away from Anfield this summer as he is very highly rated by Klopp and will form an essential part of Liverpool squad next season