Liverpool really need more improved passers. But is it worth spending so much money when the Liverpool midfielder also needs to be physical and mobile enough to win the second ball that Arne Slaughter’s side have struggled to win all season?
Wharton is not that type of player. His ability to read the game is good, but his confrontation ability is not strong, and he is not necessarily the most disciplined defensive player.
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This is why Mamadou Sangare may be a better fit for Liverpool and is a target pursued by the Reds.
He’s not a mainstream name yet, but the RC Lens midfielder has all the makings of a superstar and his style of play is perfect for the way Liverpool want to play.
The 23-year-old is full of energy and plays with great intensity. He is a true box-to-box midfielder with the stamina to run for days on end and the ability to dribble and pass well across the field.
He is also an excellent disruptor on defense.
Sangare can best be described as an absolute cheat code. Under his leadership, Lens currently sit above Paris Saint-Germain at the top of the Ligue 1 standings.
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He was instrumental in his rise to the top. Sangare leads the league in combined tackles and interceptions (66).
Sangare ranks in the top five of Ligue 1 players in terms of passes blocked (18).
He also has the most recoveries (107). In fact, only Elliot Anderson has more recoveries (132) than Sangare in Europe’s top five leagues.
Impressively, the Malian is also the player who has made the most tackles in the opponent’s final third (12) in Europe’s top five leagues.
© IMAGO – Mamadou Sangare Liverpool
Lens signed him for just €8 million in the summer transfer window. They were going to make huge profits off him, there was no doubt about it. Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester United are already among the clubs eyeing him.
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Liverpool should be there too. In fact, he should be the Reds’ first-choice midfield target as Sangare is better suited to the way the club wants to play and has been playing since Jurgen Klopp started heavy metal football, with Slott continuing it with his own fine-tuned version.
The 23-year-old Sangare has the potential to become an elite midfield star in Europe’s top five leagues.
Liverpool have been successful under Mali star. Jimmy Traore and Mohamed Sissoko both have cult figure status at Anfield. The former performed a legendary game against AC Milan in Istanbul and became the Champions League champion. In the process, Traore became the first Milan international to win the trophy.
This is the legacy that Sangare can continue at Anfield.