Liverpool are in desperate need of reinforcements this summer following a tumultuous season that has seen their once-successful squad turn stale in recent months.
The Reds have been knocked out of every opportunity to win a trophy this season and are currently ten points adrift of the Champions League qualifying spots inside the Premier League top four ahead of their clash with Arsenal this weekend.
Indeed, reinvestment into the forward line seems to have been the priority for FSG over the last two seasons, with Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo all making the move to Merseyside to compete for a spot in the club's infamous front three.
However, this focus on forwards has left other areas of the pitch to decline, with several key players reaching the latter stages of their careers – including Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago Alcantara, Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip, who are all well into their 30s at this point.
As a result, it will be absolutely imperative that the Anfield powerbrokers utilise the summer transfer window to spark a youth revolution by adding young and hungry talents into the centre of the pitch and defensive setup ahead of next season.
One player who has recently been linked to a Liverpool move is PSV Eindhoven midfielder Ibrahim Sangare, a player who could not only be a cheaper alternative to fellow transfer target Matheus Nunes, but be a better all-round player than the Wolverhampton Wanderers ace.
Will Liverpool sign Ibrahima Sangare?
Liverpool have failed to permanently sign a midfielder since Thiago joined from Bayern Munich back in 2020, so new additions to the midfield personnel will surely be warmly welcomed by the Anfield faithful.
Not only that, but Naby Keita, Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain are all set to make an exit this summer due to their contracts expiring, which only adds more pressure to the Liverpool hierarchy's efforts to identify and secure the services of quality midfielders who can add depth to the heart of the team.
There is no doubt that the signing of Sangare would be a major coup for the Merseyside giants this summer and would be a much better addition than long-term Liverpool target Nunes.
When comparing his positional peer's outputs this season, the PSV star has outperformed Nunes comfortably in several attacking areas, including goals scored (4 v 1), pass completion rate (84.3% v 80.2%), shot-creating actions per 90 (2.52 v 2.29) and progressive passes completed (158 v 73).
Meanwhile, Sangare has provided a much better defensive output with a better rate of successful take-ons (75% v 52.3%), more tackles and interceptions won (79 v 63), more ball recoveries (208 v 116) and a better success rate in aerial duels (62.7% v 45.9%) – as per FBref.
It is clear that Sangare – hailed "dangerous" by analyst Aad de Mos – is much more of a prolific and complete all-rounder in the centre of the pitch compared to the Portuguese ace, and would even cost Liverpool £5m less to sign with a price tag of £45m compared to the £50m fee reported for Nunes.
With that being said, it seems like it would be a no-brainer to snap up Sangare this summer, and if Liverpool could strike a good deal it could save the club millions to invest into other key roles that need addressing.
