The Trivela Effect website commented on the possibility of Joshua Kimmich moving to play for Liverpool.
In the 2023/24 season, Liverpool were Premier League title contenders after strengthening their midfield with the signings of Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo. However, the Reds ultimately lost out in the title race to Arsenal and Manchester City.
Of the three teams competing for the title, Liverpool have conceded the most goals, which may be partly due to the instability of their defence but also partly due to the positioning of their midfielders. We can see that although Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Endo are among the best midfielders in the league, they are not really on the same level when compared to Arsenal’s Declan Rice or Man City’s Rodri.
In fact, Jurgen Klopp recruited Thiago Alcantara, who could be compared to Rice or Rodri, but the German midfielder was no longer at his peak when he moved to Anfield. At that time, Thiago was quite susceptible to injuries when he had to work hard in the 2019/20 season with the treble with Bayern Munich, causing him to not have a full season, especially last season when he only played once in the Premier League.
With Thiago Alcantara retiring after leaving Liverpool, new manager Arne Slot needs to find someone in midfield with a similar style and class to the German star. So Liverpool could look to Thiago’s former Bayern Munich teammate Joshua Kimmich.
The 29-year-old has been linked with a move to Anfield in search of a new challenge and a position to his liking without having to worry about being moved to full-back, as Liverpool already have Trent Alexander-Arnold, arguably the best right-back in the world.
Liverpool clearly want a deep-lying midfielder who can score goals or create chances for his teammates. They also need someone who is willing to get “ugly” to fight for and gain possession of the ball and can dictate the tempo of the game appropriately.
Kimmich’s talent is undeniable.
Kimmich has done all that at right-back and central midfield for the Bavarians so the rest of the midfield can play to their strengths.
Endo would provide defensive solidity, Szoboszlai would be the attacking midfielder, with Mac Allister and Curtis Jones in the box-to-box roles. Meanwhile, a fit Stefan Bajcetic could anchor the defensive midfield, so what is missing is a deeper playmaker capable of creating chances like Kimmich.
At Liverpool, Kimmich can focus on his strengths and become a world-class star like he did when he led Bayern to success in the 2019/20 season. Then Slot’s army can regain the Premier League title or even dominate European football for the next few seasons.
