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Most Liverpool fans would like to see Gini Wijnaldum sign a new contract to extend his stay at Anfield beyond the end of this season, but as it stands, that will not happen.
There is a chance Wijnaldum could extend his stay in Liverpool, but the longer he goes without news on that front, the less likely it becomes.
Should Liverpool decide to let Wijnaldum go, a replacement will surely be necessary, given the number of minutes the Dutchman has played this season.
Curtis Jones is one whose game has developed to a point where he could help fill the void, while Thiago Alcántara has more than a game and a half to play since signing from Bayern Munich.
But if Liverpool are going to make a similar move to when they bought Wijnaldum from Newcastle United in 2016, then there might be an option that faces them this weekend when they travel to Fulham.
On the Analyzing Anfield podcast, Josh Williams said: “One Fulham player that I think might have a bit of kryptonite in the way Liverpool play is Andre-Frank Zambo Anguissa.
“He sweeps a lot and wins a lot of balls, like a N’Golo Kante guy, but then on the ball, he’s really resistant to pressure.”
“Against Manchester City, he was one of the few Fulham players who was able to keep cool with the ball and get out of tight spaces.
Listen to the full Analyzing Anfield podcast by clicking HERE
“He has a little bit of Moussa Dembele or Tanguy Ndombele in him, where he gets out of situations where you wouldn’t expect him to.”
Fulham turned down a £ 22.5 million offer for Anguissa from
Villarreal
in August, after spending the last season on loan to the La Liga team after the Cottagers were relegated to the Championship.
A box-to-box midfielder whose greatest strength lies in holding and progressing the ball, Anguissa isn’t the first name that springs to mind as a possible midfield successor at Anfield, but the data suggests he’s an effective option.
According to a statistical model from Football Critic, Anguissa is currently performing, statistically speaking, of those players who play in a similar role, comparable to Emre Can, Ilkay Gundogan, and perhaps most interestingly, Frenkie de Jong from Barcelona.
Stylistically, the Cameroonian seems, on paper, to fit in perfectly with the way Liverpool play, with statistically strong production in terms of interceptions and tackles, as well as possession.
Anguissa has normally played a midfield two so he would have to adjust to a slightly different role in Liverpool like Fabinho did, but he has all the tools to be able to do so and perform at a consistently high level.
Like Mohamed Salah, he could be one who didn’t settle into the Premier League at the first chance, but he could stand out if given a second chance.
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Williams had previously picked him as a possible transfer target, stating last April: “For me, he didn’t fail at Fulham, his club did. It was clearly a data transfer.
“He’s good off the ball and good on it. It could be a steal.”
Having turned 25, Anguissa is now the same age Wijnaldum was when he arrived at Anfield, and would likely cost a similar fee to the £ 25 million Liverpool offered the Dutchman.
It may be an option from left field, but Liverpool have followed that path before, and this weekend they will have a chance to experience their talents first hand.
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