What would Arnaut Danjuma bring to Liverpool?
Martin Macdonald
- 4 Aug 2021 16:38 BST
- 6 min read
Liverpool have been linked with a host of wingers this summer, but the latest name doing the rounds is Bournemouth forward Arnaut Danjuma.
The 24-year-old impressed in the Championship for the Cherries last season, scoring an impressive 17 goals and recording seven assists in 31 starts.
His performances have naturally catalysed speculation about a move away, and when asked whether the club will have Danjuma in their ranks at the start of the 2021/22 Championship season, manager Scott Parker admitted the situation was not clear.
“Not sure, to be honest with you.
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“Obviously we are in a transfer window at this moment in time. The club have rejected a bid for Arnie.
“But like everything. I sit here and you have a good quality player in your side. It goes for every player doesn’t it, in the team. The transfer window is open.
“We will have to see, once it’s said and done we will see what happens.”
The bid apparently came from Ajax, who are keen to bring Danjuma back to the Eredivisie, as he actually featured as a youth player for PSV.
Now, according to Marca, Liverpool are stepping up their efforts to bring him to Anfield as Jurgen Klopp attempts to add some more options in the final third.
At the moment, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Mohammed Salah share most of the playing time, but Klopp is eager for an out-and-out winger to provide something different to the inverted forwards he utilises currently.
In addition to Danjuma, the Reds have been linked with the likes of Adama Traore and Ismaila Sarr.
How good is Danjuma?
Danjuma joined Bournemouth from Club Brugge for just shy of £14million in the summer of 2019, and stayed at the Vitality Stadium despite relegation, where he was a top performer as the Cherries made the play offs.
He plays primarily on the left flank as a winger or as a left-forward, which means he would be on his favoured right foot on the inside like the Liverpool attackers are now.
Due to Liverpool playing this way, they rely very heavily on Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold to provide width.
Few full-backs in the Premier League or even around Europe contribute as much going forward as that pair, but they do need help when it comes to that width.
Having Danjuma as a left winger would not only provide support for Robertson, but also allow the Scot to do what he is best at, and that is sprint in behind on the overlap and get a cross in from the byline.
Mane and Robertson already do this well, but having Danjuma there would provide the opportunity to just to rest Mane more, but also potentially have him move into a more central area from the left to grab more goals, akin to Salah on the opposite side.
However, Danjuma is equally as adept with his left foot as his right, as he scored 45% of his Championship goals last season with his supposed weaker left foot. That would allow for crosses to be whipped in from the left while Robertson stays back or even gets inside the box
He averaged 1.8 successful dribbles per game last season, too, so can certainly run at defences.
Fundamentally, though Danjuma would simply add some quality to the front three/four that Liverpool don't have outwith their starting XI, with the likes of Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi perhaps not quite good enough.
Read more about: Ajax, B'mouth, Liverpool, Adama Traore, Arnaut Danjuma, Diogo Jota, Divock Origi, Ismaïla Sarr, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Xherdan Shaqiri
