Alternative Mason Mount is set to show Liverpool why he should be Jurgen Klopp’s next signing

Liverpool will be targeting plenty of Under-21 talent, including a midfielder who could be the perfect transfer and who Jurgen Klopp will absolutely adore.

The European Under-21 Championship is always a hotbed of talent, but perhaps there will never be a tournament as strong as the current edition, which takes place in Georgia.

There have probably never been so many potential Liverpool transfer targets to watch for Jurgen Klopp.

At this summer’s tournament, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Mykhailo Mudryk will leave their senior squads to represent Georgia and Ukraine U21 teams respectively.

When you consider the former was one of the best players in Europe’s top five leagues this season and the latter one of the most expensive transfers last season, that’s huge.

Meanwhile, Liverpool targets such as Khéphren Thuram, Micky van de Ven, Manu Koné, Roméo Lavia and Ryan Gravenberch will also compete for their respective nations, despite now being veteran professionals.

Of course, Liverpool scouts will be busy, especially with Gabri Veiga also at the tournament, who Fabrizio Romano says will remain a player on the Reds’ radar.

The Spain international might be the most interesting player for Liverpool to watch despite all the exciting stars in the tournament.

Veiga plays on the right side of midfield, unlike most midfielders associated with Liverpool. That already makes it a unique target, but that’s not the only aspect of its quality that sets it apart from the rest.

He is also one of the few players who would be undeniably capable of bringing a new dimension to Liverpool.

Earlier this year, Liverpool looked to sign Mason Mount, and in profile Veiga is a very similar type of player, capable of getting into the box and developing possession.
Last season, he scored 15 La Liga goals in 36 games and stood out for his overall offensive prowess.

For example, according to Wyscout, Veiga has scored the third most contacts in the opposition penalty area (2.3 out of 90) of any midfielder in La Liga this season. He is also top 15 for progressive runs (1.97) and top 10 for completed dribbles.

Impressively, of the players whose teams ranked in the bottom ten of La Liga’s league table for average aggregate possession according to FBref, only one player has scored more across both stats than Veiga in Kang-in Lee.

And this is an important factor to consider, as players who play on teams with more ball possession will always average more dribblers and progressive passes, as well as more touches.

But while Veiga’s offensive stats are impressive, his defensive performance is just as impressive.

He is a player who puts pressure and has a lot of defensive activity in the last third of his opponents, very much in line with Klopp’s philosophy of defending himself from the attack.

His speed and stamina make him a real nuisance for opposing defenders and an absolute weapon for a team playing in a gegenpressing system. Veiga’s pressing is forceful and not necessarily reflected in his defensive strength.

He averages a lot of interceptions and defensive duels for a player in his position, but what’s not necessarily reflected in the numbers is how much ground he covers and how well he eliminates opponents. to close them to force errors.

It’s an aspect that stays under the radar at Veiga and that’s why it makes perfect sense for Liverpool.

Over time, he will also work under Klopp’s tutelage at Anfield to become more effective not only in pressing but also in defence.

All in all, Veiga is essentially tailor-made for Liverpool and the European Under-21 Championship will likely only confirm that to fans eager to taste his quality.