Liverpool’s Midfield Search Raises One Clear Right Back Answer

A data-led look at three Liverpool-linked profiles suggests the right back may be the most immediate and logical signing.

Liverpool’s recruitment has earned its reputation by identifying value before everyone else. The numbers never tell the whole story, but they do tell you where to start looking. When I profiled Chema Andrés, João Gomes and Andrei Rațiu, I came away with three very different conclusions. All three are talented footballers, all three could improve a squad in different ways, but only one genuinely made me think, “Yes, that deal makes complete sense.”

For me, that player is Andrei Rațiu.

That should not diminish the qualities of the other two. Chema Andrés has enormous potential, and João Gomes remains a very capable Premier League midfielder; their data points towards different outcomes and different levels of value for Liverpool.

Chema Andrés Offers Elite Defensive Potential

Chema Andrés is only 20 years old and has played around 1,300 senior minutes. That is a tiny sample compared to the number of players Liverpool are linked with, so expectations have to remain realistic. Young players need minutes, not impossible comparisons.

The reason Liverpool would be interested becomes obvious when you look at the defensive profile.