You could argue that Liverpool haven’t had a proper playmaker since selling Philippe Coutinho.
Liverpool sold the Brazil international to Barcelona over four years ago, pocketing £142 million.
And although the Reds certainly found much more success without Coutinho than they did with him, winning the Champions League and Premier League after he went, Jurgen Klopp altered his side’s attack.
Roberto Firmino adopted something of a false nine role and found himself as the central creator for the likes of Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, to the point where the lack of a classic number 10 didn’t really matter.
However, Firmino is no longer Liverpool’s automatic starter through the middle and therefore it isn’t a surprise to see speculation about a traditional playmaker coming in.
According to Calciomercatoweb, Klopp is interested in signing Hakan Calhanoglu this summer and, based on previous comparisons, fans of the Anfield outfit ought to be excited.
When Calhanoglu coming through, he garnered comparisons to Mesut Ozil.
Here’s what Winfried Schafer said about the player via Goal.com: “alhanoglu is the new Ozil. Hakan is an exceptional boy. He has a lot of confidence and courage. He is simply great.”
At 28, he would be a wonderful signing.
This is someone in the prime of his career and with 12 assists in Serie A last season – the second-highest of anyone in the division – he is clearly fulfilling his potential as an Ozil-type of footballer.
He may or may not be as talented as the former Arsenal wizard, depending on who you ask.
But with Firmino becoming less important at Liverpool, and Mane now gone, creativity is massively important for Klopp’s side and with that in mind, the links to Calhanoglu seem relatively genuine.
Whether it materialises, however, remains to be seen.
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