Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp could be the latest manager to fall into a dangerous trap in the transfer market.
What’s the word?
The Reds have orchestrated some meticulously well planned and financially shrewd business in recent years, with Michael Edwards’ influence emerging as a key component in the club’s rise to Premier League dominance.
That trend will need to continue in order to consolidate the club’s current standing in world football.
Looking at the club’s attacking options beyond Mo Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane, it’s fair to assume that the arrival of a versatile forward could be at the forefront of the club’s agenda when the window eventually reopens for business.
And according to a recent report from Spanish media outlet Sport, Ousmane Dembele is a target for the club.
The report claims that Klopp is an admirer of the 22-year-old speedster, and Liverpool are plotting a proposal worth a whopping €90m (£80m).
Who said it: Klopp or Thanos?
World Class score: 95% | Expert score: 80% | Veteran score: 65% | Intermediate score: 45% | Amateur score: 30% | Try Again: 5%
Balotelli 2.0
This deal has all the makings of Mario Balotelli 2.0.
The Italian’s reputation preceded him when he arrived at Anfield in 2014.
Having become an infamous figure in the game due to his antics away from the pitch, varying from throwing darts at youth players to setting off fireworks indoors to generally doing anything capable of causing an off-field disturbance, Roberto Mancini decided enough was enough in January 2013 and sanctioned his departure from Man City.
There appeared to be an almost paternal desire from Mancini to help Balotelli realise the full extent of his limitless potential, but he couldn’t put the compatriot on the path to elite footballing success.
Brendan Rodgers may have harboured a similar motivation when he signed the centre-forward for Liverpool, but his gamble failed to pay off as he scored just four goals in 28 appearances during his time at Anfield.
While Balotelli was an incomparable enigma, there are ominous parallels to be drawn between his rise to prominence and that of Dembele at Barcelona.
The mercurial attacker is already a World Cup winner and earned his move to the Catalan giants after bagging 10 goals and providing 21 assists in a stunning 2016/17 season with Borussia Dortmund.
However, the caveats speaks for themselves.
In order to force through a move to the Nou Camp, Dembele allegedly trashed the house he was renting from Jurgen Klopp at the time. It is also widely known that he has been late to multiple training sessions and team meetings, while his obsession with video games is a cause for concern. To compound the issue, injuries have consistently cropped up throughout his career and this season he’s been limited to just five appearances by virtue of a major hamstring problem.
However, his record in the 2018/19 season – 14 goals and nine assists in 42 matches across all competitions – do offer credible cause for optimism.
Perhaps Klopp believes he can put Dembele on the right path and ensure he reaches a level that mirrors the extent of his talent. But, equally, perhaps Klopp should take the lesson of Balotelli’s stint at Liverpool as a prescient warning for the future.
Rodgers made a mistake by gambling on Balotelli in 2014 despite being acutely aware of the baggage that his arrival would entail.
And with Dembele’s problems equally well documented in the public eye, Klopp should swerve the mooted transfer swoop.
In other Liverpool news, plenty of fans have reacted to an intriguing report about Philippe Coutinho…