da bet sport： When Liverpool gleaned the FA Cup last season, beating Chelsea on penalties for the second time in a matter of months after winning the Carabao Cup final in near identical circumstances, manager Jurgen Klopp eulogised his players as “mentality monsters”, but less than one year on and the club have sunk like a stone.
da betsson： Just one week ago, the Reds incredibly mauled rivals Manchester United to a historic 7-0 defeat in the Premier League, adding to previous goal-heavy seasonal triumphs against Bournemouth (9-0) and Rangers in the Champions League (7-1).
The Cherries exacted their revenge on Saturday, deservedly defeating meek Liverpool on the south coast, illuminating the issues of fluidity and consistency that plague the Merseyside outfit’s term and threaten to raise the drawbridge on Champions League football next season.
The midfield has been particularly chastised for its loss of intensity and vigour, and with this in mind, summer signings are imperative to cement the longevity of Klopp’s Anfield dynasty.
Jude Bellingham is the salient target, but with reports from 90min that the Reds’ technical director Julian Ward has sent scouts to observe Lille midfielder Carlos Baleba, Liverpool might just have the perfect youthful option to bolster the engine and secure a silver-laden future for the prestigious club.
Who is Carlos Baleba?
The 19-year-old baller has swiftly emerged onto the Ligue 1 scene with Lille, making 12 appearances in the division already and earning high praise from team-mates, with clinical talisman Jonathan David remarking at how “powerful” the teenager is.
The Cameroonian prospect has indeed made a promising start to life in European football, averaging 0.6 shots and 0.9 tackles per game, also completing 84% of his passes and winning 61% of his duels, as per Sofascore.
His aptitude for assured passing and dribbling skills bodes well for the progressive efficacy of Klopp’s midfield, which has certainly failed to offer the robustness the German manager’s system demands this year.
Hailed by team-mate Remy Cabella as a “monster” and “incredible”, the mounting praise surrounding this blossoming dynamo seems to be telling for the scope of his abilities, with a move to Merseyside perhaps an auspicious route for his career, given the rise of the likes of teenage aces Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic.
With his boss hailing him as “exceptional” for entering a withered midfield and injecting vibrant life at just 18 years old, Spaniard Bajcetic is quickly emerging as one of the Premier League’s premium talents, having now made 19 appearances for the club and scoring one goal, being labelled an “incredible prospect” by journalist Tom Barnes.
With Baleba’s physicality and ‘monstrous’ presence in the centre, Bajcetic could find the perfect partner to grow alongside over the coming years, averaging one tackle and 1.4 dribbles per match, according to WhoScored, evidently combative in a way that belies his teenage years and inexperience.
Dubbed a “future star” by journalist Graeme Bailey, Baleba is on his way to becoming one of the most coveted young midfielders on the globe, already valued at around £30m by his outfit, and with Bajcetic demonstrating that Klopp’s Liverpool is a fantastic club to nurture talents and grow as a force in the centre, Anfield might just be the perfect home to kickstart his exciting career.