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Liverpool and effective recruitment have gone hand in hand in recent years.
The well-documented club signings of Mario Balotelli, Alberto Aquilani and other failures now seem like a long time ago with Michael Edwards at the helm of one of the most successful recruiting teams in world football.
When the dust finally begins to settle on the addition of Thiago Alcántara to the club, it probably won’t be long before some fans are asking where the next top-tier player is coming from. In truth, Thiago stands as an anomaly in Liverpool’s recruiting strategy as a player who will be asked to go to work and achieve instant success.
If fans want to know who will replace the current squad in the long term, looking at younger off-the-radar players who could be the next Mohamed Salah or Virgil van Dijk can offer more insight.
Jurgen Klopp said recently that the Reds don’t want to sign Kylian Mbappé, but rather want to sign the next Kylian Mbappé.
Below we identify five off-the-radar Bundesliga players to watch out for this season.
Christoph Baumgartner (Hoffenheim)
The attacking midfielder really turned heads during post-lock action in the Bundesliga last season.
He finished the campaign with seven goals and three assists, which is a relatively good performance given he is 21 years old.
Baumgartner’s quality of coming together in the final third and getting the ball back high up on the field could make him a very valuable player if he can start to perform consistently over a period of time.
Sebastiaan Bornauw (FC Cologne)
The standard set by van Dijk, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez makes it very difficult for Liverpool to recruit centrals who can easily fit in.
Still, Bornauw comes across as an interesting prospect and one who has many of the attributes needed to become a top-notch central defender.
The 21-year-old moved to Cologne from Anderlect last year and has since developed well in the Bundesliga. His strong aerial presence and effective long-range passes make him a name to be reckoned with in the German top flight this season.
Exequiel Palacios (Bayer Leverkusen)
Another interesting name to watch for this Bundesliga season is Palacios del Leverkusen.
The 21-year-old had moved from River Plate in Argentina last year, but struggled for a few significant minutes behind players like Kai Havertz. With the German international now at Chelsea, Palacios’ skill set as an advanced playmaker could begin to materialize.
Replacing a player of Havertz’s caliber is indeed a difficult task and one that very few players could do as equals. However, Palacios could have a good opportunity to prove himself in European football on a regular basis.
While Liverpool may not necessarily be in place at the moment, there may be transfer links in the future.
Romano Schmid (Werder Bremen)
Schmid fits a similar profile to Palacois as a play-making midfielder, but the 20-year-old already has European experience that may work to his advantage this season.
Two goals and seven assigned assists at Wolfsberger during the 2019/20 campaign provided a good idea of how well Schmid can continue to develop in the years to come.
His technical skills in terms of opportunity creation and dribbling make him an aesthetically pleasing player to watch. Again, Liverpool may not be looking to sign him next summer, but he could be one to follow later after a few seasons of experience in the Bundesliga.
Javairô Dilrosun (Hertha Berlin)
Replacing any of Liverpool’s three current forwards is an incredibly difficult task, such is the quality of Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino.
Dilrosun, however, has some similar traits to both Salah and Mane, which could later become world-class attributes if he manages to reach his full potential.
The 22-year-old’s four goals and three assists last season came in his first full season of Bundesliga action and they showed strength in crossing, dribbling and shooting.
While currently playing as a winger, those attributes can help him move into an inside forward role and Liverpool should certainly be tracking that potential development.
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