da wazamba： German football proved it’s dominance over the rest of the globe at last year’s World Cup in Brazil, beating Portugal, France, Argentina and even the tournament’s hosts (with that historic 7-1 scoreline) to claim the greatest prize the beautiful game has to offer.
da supremo： Likewise, the quality of the Bundesliga appears to be dramatically improving with every season as does it’s popularity, in no small part due to the exceptional atmospheres created by safe seating and fan ownership agreements.
Where the Bundesliga lacks, however, is finance. During the summer, they spent just £290million; less than La Liga, Serie A and exactly a third of what the Premier League splashed out.
So if you’re looking to source good talent on the cheap, the German League is certainly a good place to start – which is why a number of Bundesliga stars are currently on the radars of the Premier League’s top clubs.
With that in mind, we’re taking a look at FOUR Bundesliga stars reportedly in Liverpool’s transfer crosshairs, all the more likely to be attracted to Anfield now they’re managed by former Borussia Dortmund boss Jurgen Klopp.
Will the new Reds gaffer swoop for some of these FOUR in January?
NEVEN SUBOTIC
Liverpool may have announced Jurgen Klopp as their new manager just 24 hours ago but the Reds have already been linked with a number of players from his former club Borussia Dortmund – most notably Neven Subotic.
The 26-year-old has served as the support act to Mats Hummels for much of his Westfalen career but he’s a highly talented defender in his own right, particularly famed for his pace, threat in the air and defensive work on the deck.
The Serbian international extended his Dortmund contract until 2018 in May but that doesn’t necessarily mean he wouldn’t be interested in an Anfield switch – especially after starting the season behind Sokratis in the pecking order following an injury lay-off.
Klopp’s managed the 6 foot 2 centre-half at both Dortmund and former club Mainz, so with Liverpool in desperate need of added quality at the heart of defence, he could well become one of the German’s first purchases as Anfield gaffer.
LEROY SANE
German publication SportBild claim Liverpool launched a €15million bid for Schalke prodigy Leroy Sane in the summer and are expected to return with an improved offer in the near future.
So who is this budding youngster I hear your ask? Well the 19-year-old emerged on the peripheries of the Miners’ senior squad last season and has started the current campaign in emphatic form, bagging three goals and one assist in eight Bundesliga appearances – only three of which have been starts.
The winger boasts pace, direct dribbling and goal threat in abundance and certainly fits the profile Liverpool’s transfer committee tend to aim for in the market as a promising talent on the cusp of Champions League football.
Tottenham are also reportedly keen admirers. But having tied him down to a four-year contract in July, Schalke certainly won’t be parting with Sane on the cheap.
HAKAN CALHANOGLU
It seems practically every major club in Europe are running the rule over Bayer Leverkusen’s Hakan Calhanoglu at the moment, including Liverpool, and it’s not hard to see why.
The 21-year-old has bagged 20 goals and ten assists in 73 appearances throughout his Bundesliga career, the vast majority of them sourced from his world-class free kick ability. In fact, he scored the most free kicks of any player in Europe’s five leading top flights last season.
Dubbed by some as ‘the new Mesut Ozil’, it seems to be only a matter of time before the attacking midfielder goes on to join one of Europe’s biggest footballing institutions.
He’ll command a huge fee, however, and Liverpool will have to fend off plenty of competition for the Turkey international’s signature with Arsenal and Manchester United, amongst others, also linked in recent weeks.
HENRIKH MKHITARYAN
Liverpool were desperate to sign Armenian ace Henrikh Mkhitaryan back in 2013 when he opted to join Borussia Dortmund instead, so with Jurgen Klopp now in the hot seat it’s safe to assume the Merseysiders will be targeting him once again.
The 26-year-old hasn’t quite exploded onto the Bundesliga as expected, having previously amassed 44 goals in 104 appearances for Shaktar Donetsk and been described as Frank Lampard with the electric pace of Theo Walcott.
But nonetheless, Mkhitaryan’s speed and stamina on the break would certainly be at home in the Premier League and he’s started the current campaign particularly well, claiming three goals and three assists in eight Bundesliga appearances.
Dortmund haven’t exactly got full value out of the €25million signing and he’s now into the final years of his Westfalen contract – so if there were ever a time to convince Klopp’s former side to sell, it’s probably right now.