Liverpool lining up bid for £100m Bruno Guimaraes alternative

The transfer work conducted last summer has ensured that Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp need not panic and lunge into completing business in January, having addressed his key concerns.

Indeed, Liverpool fell by the wayside last season, finished fifth in the Premier League and relinquished their seven-year stint in the Champions League – reaching the final three times and winning one.

But class is permanent and all that, and Klopp succeeded in reviving his squad with an injection of fresh quality and is now competing for silverware once again, top of the league table and in with a shout across every competition thus far.

And as the Reds are firing on all cylinders, bolstering the fold is hardly paramount even if there are several concerns around the squad’s depth.

Sealing deals for players that would improve the existing crop is a tricky task at the season’s midpoint, and so Klopp appears to be preparing for the end of the campaign, with sights set on completing his new-look engine room.

Liverpool’s midfield shortlist

Despite the several impactful midfield signings made at Anfield last summer, there remains a sense that something is missing, with Wataru Endo proving to be an astute addition in the holding role yet not considered the long-term solution.

Therefore, it makes sense that Liverpool have been linked with a move for Newcastle United midfielder Bruno Guimaraes of late, with the 26-year-old – understood to have a £100m release clause – revealed to be on the club’s radar at present, with a host of other top European outfits interested.

Signing Guimaraes will not be easy and for this reason, the Reds appear to be lining up an alternative in his Brazilian compatriot Douglas Luiz, with Football Insider reporting that Klopp’s side have entered the race for the Aston Villa centrepiece with Barcelona, rivalling long-time admirers Arsenal for his signature.

Villa believe they have a gem of equal measure to Guimaraes on their books and are adamant that he will command a £100m fee, should he indeed depart Villa Park in 2024.

Douglas Luiz’s season in numbers

Liverpool’s success so far this season suggests drastic measures need not be taken over the next few weeks, with the current options in the centre of the park more than capable of charging the endeavours during the business end of the campaign.

It would also be near impossible to convince high-flying Aston Villa to part with arguably their best player at the midpoint, with so much on the line for Unai Emery’s side.

Across all competitions this term, Douglas Luiz has posted seven goals and six assists across 30 fixtures, captaining his team on several occasions as they fight for top four in the English top-flight and silverware in the FA Cup and Europa Conference League.

As per Sofascore, Douglas Luiz has played 20 times in the Premier League this season, clinching six goals and three assists, completing 89% of his passes, averaging 1.5 key passes, 2.1 tackles and 6.2 ball recoveries per game while winning 63% of his dribbles and 55% of his contested duels.

Furthermore, as per FBref, the £75k-per-week machine ranks among the top 17% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for goals scored, the top 16% for shot-creating actions and the top 21% for assists and passes attempted per 90, highlighting his attacking quality.

Such efforts have led The Athletic’s Jacob Tanswell to pronounce him “the complete player” for his all-consuming approach to his midfield work, having sharpened his tools to a fine point while still maintaining the intrinsic defensive aptitude that makes him such a coveted prospect for a fluid system such as Liverpool’s.

But would he be the better pick when considering both him and the Magpies’ Guimaraes? Both are high-class midfielders with plenty of Premier League experience, equally effective as the kernels of their outfits.

How Douglas Luiz compares to Bruno Guimaraes

Guimaraes might not have been on English shores for as long as his countryman but he has made quite the impression since signing for Eddie Howe’s side from Lyon for £40m in January 2022, since featuring 87 times and clinching 11 goals and ten assists.

The parallels are intriguing, with both Newcastle and Aston Villa in the ascendancy since their midfield fulcrums took their own game to the next level, and either would be a credit to Liverpool’s centre.

But it’s simply not realistic to imagine both plying their trade on Merseyside, so the question remains as to which star would be better suited to life under Klopp’s wing.

Well, it’s clear to see that Douglas Luiz is more crisp in possession and creative when distributing the ball forward, despite Guimaraes’ constancy in his progressive passing.

However, with the Villan more frequent in his forays forward, this is only natural, and while Guimaraes’ greater success in beating his opponent with the ball at his feet suggests superiority, the clip below negates such an argument.

Guimaraes is also a little more active in his defensive duties but infinitesimally so; in the Premier League this term, his average of 2.2 tackles and 6.1 ball recoveries per game is practically identical to his countryman’s, with his duel success rate of 57% marginally better.

Douglas Luiz is also way more commanding aerially and this is important for Klopp in winning second balls and instigating counter-surges with snappy speed.

Once described as a “warrior” by broadcaster Jack Grimse, Luiz would not come cheap but given his multi-functionality in his craft, he might just be the perfect addition for a Liverpool team targeting a new wave of illustrious success.