Liverpool could sacrifice 27y/o for Euro 2024 pass master in proposed ‘crazy exchange’ – report
According to reports from Italy, Liverpool could be open to a ‘crazy’ exchange deal involving AC Milan which’d see two players swap between the respective clubs.
With just under two months remaining until the January transfer window commences, speculation over possible comings and goings are set to accelerate over the next few weeks, and there’s already been a bombshell rumour doing the rounds on the continent.
Liverpool could propose player exchange deal
Milan Live have claimed that Anfield chiefs could consider offering Federico Chiesa to AC Milan as a ‘bargaining chip’ to try and entice the Rossoneri to let Tijjani Reijnders move in the opposite direction in what’s termed a ‘crazy exchange’.
Arne Slot is understood to be keen on bringing in a midfielder in January, and while the report states that Martin Zubimendi is still Liverpool’s preferred choice, the meagre likelihood of Real Sociedad allowing him to leave could result in the Reds turning to the San Siro for the next target on their list.
It’s alleged that any proposed swap deal involving the players in question may actually be pushed by the Merseysiders, and the possibility of the Italy forward asking for an escape route from L4 isn’t discounted.
Reijnders would be welcome at Liverpool, but don’t give up on Chiesa yet!
If Liverpool are indeed seeking to bolster their midfield options in January, they could certainly do a lot worse than Reijnders, who came up against the Reds when we beat Milan 3-1 in the Champions League in September.
Capable of playing as a number 6, 8 or 10, the 26-year-old – who helped Netherlands to reach the semi-finals of Euro 2024 – is one of the best distributors of a football on the continent.
As per FBref, he ranks among the top 3% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for progressive carries per game (3.03) and is in the 95th percentile for pass completion with 91%.
He also scores highly among positional peers for shot-creating actions, progressive passes and successful take-ons per 90, although he’s lacking in terms of defensive metrics such as tackles, blocks and aerial duel success.
Reijnders could be a viable transfer option for Liverpool to consider, but we can’t imagine the Reds giving up on Chiesa just two months after signing him from Juventus, even when considering the injury problems which have prevented the 27-year-old from making any discernible impact at Anfield so far.
We’d take these reports from Italy with a pinch of salt for now, but the Milan midfielder could be worth keeping an eye on as the season progresses.
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