It may only be October but look at any sports section of any newspaper and you’ll see a transfer story or two. Liverpool may have brought in a whole host of first-team players in the summer but it’s clear that Jurgen Klopp isn’t quite finished with the additions. Ask any Liverpool fan and most will agree that central attacking midfield is the position most in need of reinforcement. Arsenal’s Aaron Ramsey has been touted as a potential candidate but would it be worth pursuing for the Reds?
There seems to be a similar situation at Arsenal every single season and this time it’s Aaron Ramsey who is running down his contract at the Emirates. The Gunners have reportedly withdrawn an offer for the Welsh international after several months of contract negotiations broke down. Now, the 27-year-old looks set to leave the club on a free transfer at the end of the season with Juventus, AC Milan, Manchester United, and of course, Liverpool cited as potential destinations.
The central midfield position has seen a complete overhaul inthe last few months. The departures of Philippe Coutinho and the injuries to Adam Lallana and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have forced Jurgen Klopp into action. Fabinho joined Naby Keita in signing for the Reds over the summer but it seems as if both players will take some time to settle in at Anfield despite flashes of quality.Following the failed pursuit for Lyon attacker Nabil Fekir over the summer, it’s clear that Klopp is still keen on signing a creative attacking midfielder. According to Jamie Carragher, that is exactly the position which Liverpool will need to strengthen.
“I just look at that midfield and I think we’re missing that Coutinho type of player. Obviously, we went in for Fekir, so we’re obviously looking for someone like that,” Carragher said earlier this month.
“We’re trying to compete with City, and I look and they’ve got De Bruyne and Silva in there. I don’t think we’ve got that sort of player.”
It’s one of the things which sets Manchester City apart from the rest of the teams in the Premier League. The sheer number of quality creative players which Pep Guardiola has at his disposal is staggering. This is perhaps the main reason why City are the odds-on 4/6 favourites to retain the Premier League title this season on Betway as of 15 October. Liverpool are in second place at 9/4 but those odds would surely change with a little more creativity in the team.
Step forward, Aaron Ramsey. The Welshman’s creativity was on full display during his cameo appearance against Fulham on 7 October. Ramsey started and finished one of the goals of the season less than a minute after coming off the bench for his club. Burnley’s Johann Gudmundsson is the only midfielder with more Premier League assists than Ramsey this season. The Welshman is building on his form from last season. In the 2017/18 season, the Arsenal man notched up 11 goals and 12 assists in just 32 appearances in all competitions.
But goals are just one aspect of his play. Ramsey is best known for his driving midfield runs, something which this current Liverpool midfield has been lacking since the injury to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. The Reds are also missing some spark of creativity on the edge of the box since Coutinho’s exit. Ramsey is a different style of player but is still able to create in the final third. So far this season, Ramsey has averaged 1.5 key passes per game, more than any Liverpool midfielder.
So, how would he fit into this Liverpool team? Ramsey is best utilised as the furthermost player in a midfield three, a position which Jurgen Klopp has struggled to fill in recent months. Roberto Firmino has been spotted in deeper positions so far this campaign and has impressed, as has Xherdan Shaqiri who took up the number 10 role at times during the 3-0 victory over Southampton in September. The Swiss international did show a tendency to drift wide and Firmino will obviously offer less of a goal threat in midfield.
Aaron Ramsey is capable of doing many of the things which this Liverpool team is currently missing and would add creativity, flair and goals to this midfield. Usually, it would not be a transfer worth pursuing considering his struggles with consistency and injuries in recent years. He would also be arriving from a rival team which would seriously inflate the transfer fee but Ramsey’s current contract situation has changed things. It looks as if the Welshman will be available on a free transfer at the end of the season or even a cut-price deal in January. If that were to be the case then it is a transfer which the club should certainly consider when taking into account the current problems with the midfield.
