IPP20210103 Football - soccer: Serie A, Juventus Turin - Udinese Calcio, de paul rodrigo Verwendung nur in Deutschland - GERMANY ONLY *** IPP20210103 Football soccer Serie A, Juventus Turin Udinese Calcio, de paul rodrigo use only in Germany GERMANY ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxONLY
According to the Sun, Liverpool have registered their interest in Udinese midfielder Rodrigo De Paul. The Reds see the Argentine as a player to reinforce their squad and make a strong statement in the title race. The Italian outfit value the midfielder at £40m. Leeds United and AC Milan are the other clubs in the race for De Paul.
Liverpool are in a bit of a pickle regarding Georginio Wijnaldum. The midfielder is in his last 6 months of his current contract and it seems like no solution has been reached (h/t Sky Sports). Since joining the club in 2016, Wijnaldum has been an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool side.
The midfielder is a dynamo on the pitch, covering every blade of grass and not stopping till the final whistle. He has been used in multiple positions as per the team’s requirement and perhaps scored two of the most important goals in Liverpool’s recent history against Barcelona. Replacing him might not be the easiest of tasks given his contribution across the pitch.
To that end, Liverpool making a renewed attempt to sign Rodrigo De Paul during the January window would surely put an end to their squad depth issues. Essentially a central attacking midfielder by trade, De Paul is versatile enough to play out wide on either flank.
De Paul has accumulated an impressive tally of 28 goals and 28 assists in 163 appearances for Udinese in all competitions so far (h/t Transfermarkt). A potential deal for the Argentine wizard would, therefore, offer Klopp with quality cover in more than one area across the final third and midfield.
The 26-year-old boasts a proven track record of goals and assists in the Serie A while he still has his best years ahead of him. He is still very much at a good age and looks capable of thriving in the Premier League. While he does not look like a like-for-like replacement for Wijnaldum, De Paul does look like he has the ability to emulate him.