Despite already having an abundance of attacking talent, Jurgen Klopp has informed his transfer committee that he wants Julian Brandt signed this summer. However, Liverpool doesn’t operate like a traditional team with a transfer committee making the final decisions on whether to make a move. With interest very high for the manager it remains to be seen whether the committee pulls the trigger on the £60m rated German winger.
Jurgen Klopp has said in the past that the committee, of which he is a member, always works together and suggests players together. However, Lazy Fan sports understands, it is Klopp who is pushing hard for Brandt to be bought in. He has made no secret of his desire to sign Julian Brandt in the back-offices of Anfield, and continues to express his interest in bringing him in before the deadline.
Splash The Cash
Liverpool have joined the annual summer splash the cash race, traditionally dominated by the two Manchester clubs and Chelsea, this year. They’ve already spent a staggering £175m, and a move from Brandt would push them close to the quarter of a BILLION pound mark. This is a figure only broken once in Premier League history by Manchester City last summer.
Having said only 2 summers ago that he would quit football if high prices became the norm, it is somewhat entertaining to watch Liverpool spending vast quantities of cash. £66m for goalkeeper Allison was nearly double the previous high spent on a goalkeeper.
All of this highlights the fact that Liverpool are going hard to improve their squad this season, and Brandt looks like he could be the next piece in that puzzle. Squad depth has clearly been an issue at Anfield for the last several seasons, and they are finally doing something to redress this.
Who is Julian Brandt?
At just 22-years-old he has risen quickly through the ranks of German football. Having come through the youth academy of Wolfsburg, he moved to Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2014. He has scored 27 goals in 132 appearances in his 4 seasons in the Bundesliga, and has earned a number of plaudits. He has shown good progression through the years, culminating in 9 goals and 3 assists in 2017/18.
He became the youngest player to score in 6 consecutive Bundesliga games since Gerd Muller. He earned his place in the 2018 German World Cup squad at the expense of Man City’s Leroy Sane. However, he saw only 19 minutes of action for a seriously out of sorts Germany in the finals.
It remains to be seen whether Klopp will continue to push for the youngster as we near the start of the season. Bayern Munch have also shown some interest in him, so time may be running short for the Reds. One thing is for sure, the price for Brandt is only likely to go up over the next couple of summers.
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