The Augsburg defender is reportedly close to completing a move to Anfield.
According to the Mirror, Liverpool are close to completing a deal for Augsburg defender Ragnar Klavan.
The Reds have already agreed a £4 million fee with the German side and the player will undergo a medical on Tuesday.
He is being brought to Anfield to add some much needed defensive cover, with that area of the team currently short on numbers.
Martin Skrtel has left for Fenerbache, Kolo Toure was released at the end of his contract and Joe Gomez has suffered a set back in his recovery from a long-term injury.
Juergen Klopp was clearly not a fan of Skrtel and it is likely that Klavan has been targeted as a direct replacement, but how did the two compare last season? Well as it turns out, Skrtel performed slightly better according to WhoScored.
| Team | Season | Won Tackle per Game | Interception Won per Game | Blocks per Game | Aerial Won per Game | Fouls per game | Effective Clearances per Game | Accurate Pass per Game | Passing Accuracy | Appearances | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Martin Skrtel | Liverpool | 2015-2016 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 0.9 | 2.6 | 0.95 | 6.9 | 43.7 | 85% | 22 |
| Ragnar Klavan | Augsburg | 2015-2016 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 1 | 2.3 | 0.87 | 6 | 40.7 | 85% | 31 |
On a per game basis Skrtel managed to win more interceptions and aerial duels, as well as registering more clearances than the Estonia international.
His passing was also better as he managed more successful passes per game, although the two were level when it came to passing accuracy.
Klavan did however win more tackles and blocks per game, while he also committed fewer fouls per game than Skrtel did last season.
Interesting stats nonetheless, suggesting Liverpool should have considered keeping Skrtel rather than spending money to replace him this summer.
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