With the season long behind us and players finally enjoying some well-needed time off after a dragged out yet eventful campaign, attention for fans have turned swiftly to the transfer window, and for Liverpool supporters, there hasn’t been much to write home about.
There have been rumours, sure, but there has been very little activity in terms of actual signings coming into the club, with Dutch teenager Sepp van den Berg being reported by BBC Sport as the only name close to joining Liverpool so far, but that hasn’t stopped the rumour mill from churning, and a new and unfamiliar name has recently come into the limelight.
According to Estadio Deportivo, the Reds are one of a handful of clubs interested in Stade Rennais midfielder Benjamin Bourigeaud, who has attracted the attention of many clubs around Europe after an impressive season with the Ligue 1 side where the versatile winger scored nine goals and assisted 10 in all competitions, and this summer the 25-year-old is exactly what Liverpool need.
Of course, Bourigeaud isn’t exactly the A-list player many Liverpool fans would expect the club to be going for them, but just like how James Milner wasn’t the flashy, exciting name that would sell tickets yet became an essential part of the Reds’ success in recent years, the French midfielder can have the same impact.
Just like with Milner, Bourigeaud is an incredibly versatile player . Whilst some outlets list him as a central midfielder, the truth is that the Frenchman is more of a winger having played 29 games last season on either the left or right flank, with only 11 games played as a central or defensive midfielder.
As well as being able to play in a multitude of positions, the reason why Milner enjoyed so much success at Liverpool, Bourigeaud’s stats compared to other Liverpool midfielders are actually fairly impressive.
When looking at the numbers via WhoScored, the Rennes midfielder registered more tackles per 90 than Milner, Georginio Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson, as well as producing more interceptions per 90 than the Liverpool trio, as well as registering more assists over the season and having more shots per game.
Bourigeaud might be a name not many Liverpool fans have heard of, but he is the type of creative presence the Reds have been missing a bit last season, and the midfielder can be a cheap option this summer as Klopp plots his second attempt at the league title.