Liverpool overcame Real Betis last night in the first match of their pre-season tour over the pond, with head coach Arne Slot's new style of play having been on full display in that 1-0 win over the La Liga outfit.
Curtis Jones, one of the club's most technical midfielders, has recently expressed his delight toward the new system, with a greater emphasis expected on control and fluency in the middle of the park.
Jones' high pressing and resultant turnovers of possession, second in the squad for both metrics in 2023/24, align with his sharp ball-playing skills, marking the 23-year-old as a perfect fit for the new system.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, the Reds' other high-profile Scouser, has flirted with a future in midfield too, and while speculation over his future rumbles, he could prove to be another factory-built cog to place in Slot's engine room.
In order for it all to tick, Liverpool will surely need to shore up the defence, with an exciting centre-back seemingly under consideration.
Liverpool transfer news
According to Football Insider, Liverpool have learned the conditions of a potential transfer for Gleison Bremer this summer, with the Juventus centre-back on the move if the Serie A side's £50m asking price is met.
The Brazilian is one of Italian football's finest defenders and has been earmarked as a 'top target' for the Anfield side this summer.
FSG like to stay ahead of the curve, and with 33-year-old captain Virgil van Dijk entering the final year of his £220k-per-week contract, this is definitely one to keep an eye on over the coming weeks.
What Gleison Bremer would bring to Liverpool
Bremer, 27, has been a mainstay for Juventus since joining from Turin-based rivals Torino in 2022, amassing 83 appearances and scoring 8 goals.
Described as a "monster" of a defender by analyst Ben Mattinson, the 6 foot 2 Brazilian is a sinewy mass of muscle with an athletic constitution and a seemingly inborn positional understanding that allows him to rebuff danger with confidence.
Matches played
36
Matches started
36
Clean sheets
15
Goals
3
Pass completion
86%
Touches per game
65.4
Key passes per game
0.2
Dribbles per game
0.3
Ball recoveries per game
5.4
Tackles per game
1.6
Interceptions per game
1.1
Clearances per game
4.0
Duels won per game
5.2 (58%)
As his statistics from the 2023/24 Serie A campaign show, Bremer is an extremely active defender, tackling his way toward success and covering vast swathes of ground to boot the ball away. He's also crisp in the duel.
Bringing this all together, it's clear that he would be an excellent addition to Liverpool's backline, providing someone such as Alexander-Arnold with the steel required to succeed when drifting into the centre of the field.
Liverpool's vice-captain, let's not forget, is one of the best distributors that the Premier League has seen in a long time, with Jamie Carragher even claiming that "it's like having Kevin De Bruyne playing at right-back".
He's not deficient defensively but Alexander-Arnold definitely prioritises the attacking side of the game, winning only 44% of his ground duels in the Premier League last season. Bremer would bring the requisite defensive level to allow him to play with unfettered joy.
Liverpool have an impressive set of centre-backs at Slot's disposal, but the feeling can't be shaken that the outfit is one Van Dijk injury away from facing prospective calamity.
Bremer would complete the set, with his steely defensive skills allowing the likes of Alexander-Arnold to come to the fore and exhibit the full scale of their ball-playing brilliance with freedom and security.
Slot's own Coutinho: Liverpool ready to fight Man City for £51m ace
He’d complete the Reds’ midfield and offer a newfound sense of “magic”.
ByAngus Sinclair Jul 26, 2024