Liverpool beat Wolverhampton Wanderers 2-1 at Anfield on Saturday, extending their lead in the Premier League to three games.
However, the Reds are still 10 points behind league leaders Arsenal in defending their Premier League title, meaning they still have a lot of work to do if they are to retain the title.
One of Arsenal’s top performers this season has, of course, been England international Declan Rice, who has scored two goals and provided three assists and won 55% of his duels according to Sofascore.
The 26-year-old star has been a consistent performer in the center of the park, both in and out of possession, helping the Gunners rise to the top of the table.
Liverpool bid for new midfielder
The Reds are now reportedly looking to sign a new midfielder who could be Arne Slott’s version of the former West Ham United talent.
Liverpool are aiming to sign Eduardo Camavinga from Real Madrid in the January transfer window, according to reports from Spain.
According to the newspaper, the Premier League champions have already submitted a £61m offer for the France international to strengthen their options in midfield.
However, he added that Real Madrid do not want to lose their left-footed star for the second half of the season, making it very difficult for Liverpool to complete a deal in January.
The Reds may have to significantly increase their offer to secure his services, as the Spanish giants view Camavinga as an important player and are not actively pursuing the Frenchman.
Why Liverpool are pushing for Eduardo Camavinga
Slott should press the club to continue with the Real Madrid star’s contract despite the Spanish team’s current stance. Because the midfielder could be his own Declan Rice.
Camavinga, like the England superstar, is an incredibly well-rounded central midfielder with the potential to dominate matches both on and off the ball.
Based on their stats over the past 365 days, Camavinga and Rice are both good at several areas of their games, as shown in the graph above, showing that they can influence the match in multiple ways rather than being one-trick experts.
Hailed as a “dueling monster” by analyst Raj Chohan, the French player also excels in individual duels, winning 70% of his ground duels in La Liga so far this season, according to SofaScore.
However, according to FBref, Camavinga ranks in the top 20% of midfielders for progressive passes (6.33/90) and in the top 4% for successful take-ons (1.93/90), showing that in addition to his defensive qualities, Camavinga has exceptional ability in possession.
Like Rice, the Real Madrid star has won more than 50% of his duels on the ground and in the air, according to Sofascore, and could be an upgrade over Alexis Mac Allister in the center of the park at Liverpool.
25/26 season | Octane (Liga) | Mac Allister (Premier League) |
|---|---|---|
Appearance | 12 | 17 |
the goal | 1 | 0 |
Shah | 0.89 | 0.82 |
Tackles + Interceptions per game | 2.2 | 1.6 |
Number of dribble breakthroughs per game | 0.6x | 0.9x |
Ground duel success rate | 70% | 47% |
Aerial duel success rate | 56% | 42% |
Statistics by Sofascore | ||
As you can see from the table above, the Argentine midfielder has been a lightweight in the Premier League so far this season, losing most of his duels on the deck and in the air.
The former Brighton star hasn’t made up for it with the quality of his ball, with no goals and less xA than Camavinga. This suggests the Frenchman arrives at Anfield as a better option in a box-to-box midfield role.
These statistics suggest that the Real Madrid midfielder could replace Mac Allister and improve the team in the slot by adding quality in and out of possession in the center of the park.
That’s why Liverpool should try their best to sign a deal with Real Madrid for the former Rennes midfielder. Because, based on his impressive performances in the Spaniard’s team, he could be the slot’s own rice and an upgrade over Mac Allister.
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Liverpool achieved another narrow victory over Wolves, who are bottom of the Premier League.
It is now up to the club to improve their offer and make the La Liga giants an offer too good to refuse in the January transfer window.
