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Liverpool has again been linked to a move by Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappé in 2021.
French publication L’Equipe (via Get French Football News) has reported that the Reds have been in regular contact about a deal for the superstar forward next season.
The French media affirms that the future of Mbappé seems to be with one of the following three clubs: PSG, Real Madrid or Liverpool.
The Reds have already demonstrated this summer the immense power of attraction they possess, having jumped to the front of the queue to begin transfer talks with 2019/20 Champions League champion Bayern Munich for the world-class midfielder. Thiago Alcantara.
This got us thinking, what kind of impact could Mbappé have on Liverpool in 2021 if the tentative links turn out to be accurate?
And what would the team be like at the beginning of next season with Mbappé?
For a little fun and trying to predict the future, we used the popular football management simulation game Football Manager 2020 to predict what might happen * if * Mbappé joined Liverpool in 2021.
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Kylian Mbappé ‘signs’ for Liverpool in 2021
To set up this simulation, we launched the Football Manager 2020 editor and arranged for Kylian Mbappe to join Liverpool on 1st July 2021 for £ 200 million. We then simulated until the start of the 2021/22 season in the game, to see what kind of impact the PSG striker would have on the club.
The Football Manager database currently contains data on more than 800,000 people and 45,000 active clubs, with data coming from its international network of scouts on the ground that has approximately 1,000 people, among its ranks are some who are involved in the professional football, including scouts. and coaches.
Hear our special podcast on Diogo Jota and how he will fit in at Liverpool by clicking HERE
Additionally, each annual iteration of Football Manager has built-in algorithms that check for outliers and data discrepancies. The accuracy of the data is further ensured by input from contributors who are active in the professional game (players, agents, etc.) who provide regular feedback.
We also use a community database to run the simulation, so all real life transfers, manager changes, 2019/20 results and more are up to date.
This is what Mbappé’s profile looks like in Football Manager 2020 in July 2021.
A one-of-a-kind player in a generation joining an already world-class team, with Mbappé now just 22 years old.
In our simulation, Liverpool retained the Premier League in 2020/21, so the best team in England just got even better.
Before we started our simulation review, it was not all good news for Liverpool in the 2021/22 summer transfer window.
Because, while Mbappé joined the club, Virgil van Dijk announced his desire to leave after winning a ton of trophies with the Reds, and the Dutchman eventually joined PSG for a fee of £ 150 million.
This allowed Liverpool to buy not only Mbappé, but also Juventus midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur and Valencia central defender Mouctar Diakhaby.
Moving on to the 2021/22 season, with the signing of Mbappé, Bentancur and Diakhaby assured …
Kylian Mbappé’s 2021/22 season with Liverpool
Let’s take a look at Mbappé’s 2021/22 season with Liverpool in more detail.
The world-class forward had an impressive 2021/22 season for the Reds, scoring 29 goals and recording 6 assists in 53 appearances, with the French forward lethal in the Premier League.
Mbappé contributed directly to 10 Champions League goals in just 13 appearances (six goals, four assists).
Mbappé also scored 22 goals in 25 league appearances in 2021/22, earning him the Golden Boot at the end of the campaign.
Only Chelsea striker Kai Havertz approached Mbappé.
Let’s take a look at the best Liverpool players in terms of goals and assists in 2021/22.
As you can see in the screenshot below, only Sadio Mane came close to Mbappé in terms of goals, and Firmino and Salah couldn’t match them.
In fairness to Salah, he had some injury issues this season.
But, when you add up the stats for Mbappé, Mane, Salah and Firmino from 2021/22, it’s a really great read. All four Red forwards together contributed directly to 121 goals combined, in one season!
With the arrival of Mbappé, Klopp had to evolve his training to fit the Frenchman into his team, this is what he came up with.
Liverpool’s best-performing eleven came in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Firmino as number 10, Salah as forward and Mbappé from the right of attack. But Mbappé and Salah swapped positions regularly.
Overall, this was their best-performing eleven: Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Gómez, Diakhaby, Robertson; Fabinho, Bentancur; Mbappé, Firmino, Mane; Salah.
So how did this Liverpool team perform in general?
Liverpool performance in 2021/22
With Mbappé on the Reds team, Liverpool scored more goals and conceded fewer goals than any other Premier League team in the 2021/22 campaign, and Klopp’s team won the league for the third season in a row.
Liverpool scored a staggering 91 goals in 38 games, earning 89 points, three more than second-place Chelsea.
The Reds also reached the Champions League final, with Mbappé opening the scoring in the final against Man City, but Pep Guardiola’s side completed an impressive comeback to win 3-1.
Despite his disappointment in the Champions League, the signing of Mbappé marked an evolution in Liverpool’s lineup for the 2021/22 campaign, with Mbappé the club’s key player who surpassed everyone in the Premier League.
According to Football Manager 2020, the signing of Mbappé in 2021/22 would lead to the victory of the Premier League title and the final of the Champions League for the Reds, even without Virgil van Dijk!
As always, these simulations are just one way of predicting a player’s potential impact, but it’s interesting to see how Mbappé could perform for Liverpool, * if * he signed with the club before next season.
Klopp has made it clear before how much he admires Mbappé.
When asked about the PSG star and Jadon Sancho, the Reds boss said: “I love you all and there are some other players. They are all exceptional players.”
Speaking in May, he added: “If we can get one of them in the future, we will see, but we will make the best of the situation we have. Sadio Mane is young enough and Mo Salah is young enough to be in that group for the next few years. years “.
But Klopp has also emphasized how difficult it would be for any team to seal a deal for Mbappé, with a firm declaration that Liverpool “would have no chance” of getting it.
Last November, the German explained: “We have nothing to say about it to be honest, but [buying] This gamer caliber is tough!
“I don’t think there is a club in the world that can buy Kylian Mbappé from PSG, that’s right. And we are also involved in that.
“We can’t do it, it’s that easy. Well, from a sporting point of view, there aren’t many reasons not to sign him, what a player he is.
“But it’s about the money, of course. No chance. Absolutely no chance, sorry to kill that story!”
Would you be happy with Liverpool signing Mbappé in 2021, even if it meant Van Dijk leaving?
Let us know in the comment section.
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