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Jurgen Klopp’s interest in Aston Villa star John McGinn is ‘very real’, according to reports.
Liverpool are seeking a replacement for Georginio Wijnaldum, who has left the club to join Paris Saint-Germain.
And Klopp is said to be a big admirer of McGinn and has asked Andy Robertson about his countryman’s ability.
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That’s according to The Athletic, who claim the Liverpool boss wanted to know if McGinn ‘ever stopped running on matchday’.
The report states that ‘the interest from Liverpool is very real’ and quotes Klopp from 2019, when the German said: “John McGinn, what a super player he is.”
And his admiration has not waned since, though the article does concede that interest is one thing, while actually moving to sign him is another.
It’s thought that Dean Smith is desperate to keep hold of the midfielder and it would take a bid of £50million for Villa to even consider a transfer.
Klopp is looking to revamp his Liverpool midfield and find a solution in the absence of Wijnaldum, who’s been crucial to their success of recent seasons.
And Football Insider claims that Klopp is ‘planning to change the Liverpool system’ in time for next campaign with Thiago to be ‘the heartbeat of the team’.
The German boss ‘is looking to use some of pre-season to try out Thiago, 30, in a playmaker role behind the front three.’
With Fabinho and Jordan Henderson filling in at centre-back on a number occasions, Thiago was deployed as a deep-lying central midfielder but Klopp is keen to push him further forward.
However, Klopp and his coaches at Liverpool reckon Thiago is ‘most effective when he is dictating the play higher up the pitch’ with his passing ability.
Football Insider add: ‘Deploying Thiago further forward would add to Liverpool’s attacking threat while also reducing the possibility of him conceding fouls in dangerous positions.’
Meanwhile, Thiago replaced Manchester City midfielder Rodri on 65 minutes in Spain’s 0-0 draw against Sweden in their opening match of Euro 2020.
But the Liverpool star was slammed by the Spanish press after the match with Luis Enrique’s side failing to break down Sweden despite enjoying 85 per cent of possession.
Marca were quoted as saying: “He entered in the second half. He wanted to be the protagonist but he alternated good circulation with erratic passes and wrong decisions. He did not show arguments to be a starter.”
The post Klopp has ‘very real’ interest in £50m Villa star appeared first on Football365.
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