Why Liverpool should reignite their interest in Lewis Cook
According to a previous report from The Sun in 2018, Liverpool had lined up Bournemouth midfielder Lewis Cook as a potential replacement for Emre Can.
However, the Reds eventually brought in the likes of Fabinho and Naby Keita to plug the gaps in the middle of the park following the German international’s departure to Juventus on a free transfer last summer and their interest in Cook came to nothing at that time.
An academy graduate of Leeds United, Cook was viewed as one of the hottest emerging prospects in English football prior to his move to the Premier League with Bournemouth back in the summer of 2016.
The central midfielder is still regarded as one of the most exciting young talents across the nation, despite injuries somewhat stalling his progress.
The 22-year-old missed large quarters of the previous campaign due to a long-term injury but he has returned to action for Bournemouth in the Premier League this season, starting and playing a key role in the Cherries 3-1 victory over Everton at home last week.
Cook has only managed 57 appearances for Bournemouth in all competitions till date but that hardly has anything to do with his quality as a central midfielder and he should be looking forward to a consistent run in the first-team this season after returning from a long spell on the sidelines.
The captain of the England U-20 side that won the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, Cook has also been capped once by England at the senior international level and while he is yet to fulfil his vast potential as a footballer, one would expect him to take significant strides towards doing so in the years to come, provided he manages to keep himself free of injuries.
To put things into perspective, Liverpool should look to reignite their interest in Lewis Cook, having failed to lure him to Anfield on a number of occasions in the past.
The 22-year-old has the attributes to fit seamlessly into Jurgen Klopp’s plans and he could prove to be a quality addition to their midfield ranks.
Having reinstated their status as a superpower on the domestic, as well as on the continental front, under Jurgen Klopp, the reigning European champions currently have a settled squad littered with world-class stars after spending heavily over the last couple of years.
However, despite their recent dominance, Liverpool still have a few gaps to fill in their squad, with the central midfield being an area which certainly requires some investment moving forward.
James Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho continue to be the mainstays of Klopp’s system in the middle of the park but Liverpool would probably be aware of Milner’s advancing years and the need to replace him in the near future, given the manager’s high intensity pressing philosophy that necessitates high levels of fitness and stamina.
Naby Keita, on the other hand, hasn’t proved anything since his big-money move from RB Leipzig last summer and it shouldn’t be long before the Reds start to weigh up the possibility of cutting their losses on the flop.
The return of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has definitely been a massive boost to Liverpool’s midfield but they also need to sort out the future of Adam Lallana, who continues to be way down the pecking order at Anfield.
Thus, Liverpool have a few midfielders that they should be looking to move on next summer and reigniting interest in Lewis Cook could pay rich dividends in the future.
Agreed, the 22-year-old has struggled with injuries in the recent past but Liverpool should take note of the fact he is quite exceptional when he fit and running.
A technically-gifted central midfielder who is perfectly suited to playing in a box-to-box role in a 4-3-3 system, the 22-year-old has the energy and work-rate to fit into Klopp’s pressing system and there is hardly anyone better than the German when it comes to moulding players to suit his philosophy.
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With that in mind, Lewis Cook would be a good long-term midfield solution at Anfield for a number of reasons and the Reds should not hesitate to go back in the market for the 22-year-old if he manages to keep himself fit over the entirety of the ongoing campaign.