The Reds are lining up a winter move for Serie A attacker Juan Iturbe…
Liverpool are being linked with Argentinian attacker Juan Iturbe, who plays for Verona in Serie A, reports Portuguese publication O Jogo.
The prodigal 20-year-old only moved to the Italian side this summer from Porto on loan, but has been in sensational form ever since.
Here’s what Liverpool could be getting for their money…
Iturbe’s skills and attributes:
Iturbe is diminutive, small, agile and quick. He is very much the modern type of attacker, and relies on excellent technical ability and his vision, instead of power.
In spite of this, he is remarkably direct, and enjoys running at the opposition fullback.
Iturbe is an outstanding dribbler, and prefers to use his stronger left foot. This has drawn loose comparisons to Lionel Messi, although the youngster has an enormous amount of work to do before he should even be mentioned in the same breath.
Defensively, Iturbe is lacklustre, but he comes alive in the final third when the ball is at his feet.
Where he’ll fit in the Liverpool lineup:
Iturbe prefers to play on the right of an attacking three, in a typical 4-2-3-1 formation. This way he can cut in on his left boot and shoot, or play intricate passes through to attackers.
Brendan Rodgers currently plays a wing-back formation without wide attackers, but deploys a no.10 behind the brilliant strike pairing of Daniel Sturridge and Luis Suarez.
This role should be occupied by Coutinho who will soon return from injury, but Iturbe could easily act as a backup or rotation option.
Alternatively, Rodgers could revert to the 4-2-3-1 formation, meaning Iturbe could start from the right, Suarez in an advanced no.10 role behind Sturridge, with Coutinho cutting in from the left.
Iturbe’s vital statistics:
This season, the youngster’s been nothing short of outstanding. He’s bagged two goals and one assist in his four starts, averaging 4.6 dribbles per game. The only Premier League player who has attempted more is Andros Townsend.
Iturbe’s passing stats are less impressive, and has only completed 73% of them so far. Whether his dribbling ability outweighs the fact he gives the ball away is for Brendan Rodgers to decide…
Some Iturbe highlights:
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