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Liverpool supporters might have thought that the last-gasp summer swoop for Bayern Munich’s Ryan Gravenberch was the culmination of the club’s transfer activity, but there might be one more trick up Jurgen Klopp’s sleeve.
What’s the latest on Dan Neil to Liverpool?
According to the Daily Telegraph’s Mike McGrath, Liverpool are monitoring the situation of Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil after previously sending scouts to watch the 22-year-old in action; Burnley have already had a loan offer with an obligation to buy rejected.
Meanwhile, journalist Pete O’Rourke has corroborated the claims and revealed that the Anfield side are indeed pushing for the Englishman in what would be a “shock” deadline day move.
“Liverpool are among a number of Premier League clubs exploring a shock deadline-day move for Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil. #LFC #SAFC Liverpool now want to sign Sunderland star Dan Neil in ‘shock’ move,” he revealed on social media.
This comes after an agreement was found with Bayern for the £34m transfer of Gravenberch, who joins midfield summer signings Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai and Wataru Endo on Merseyside.
How good is Dan Neil?
The Reds have been following Neil’s progress over the past 12 months and view the industrious midfielder as someone who can restore the equilibrium of the midfield following captain Jordan Henderson’s £13m transfer to Saudi Arabian side Al Ettifaq in July.
Having played a central role across his 110 displays for Sunderland as they have risen from League One to the Championship play-offs, where they lost to top-flight newcomers Luton Town last term, Neil has started the current campaign with aplomb.
As per Sofascore, the “fantastic player” – as said by journalist James Copley – has recorded a tremendous average match rating of 7.40 thus far, posting a goal and assist apiece from his four outings, taking 2.8 shots per game, completing 90% of his passes, creating 1.5 key passes and making 4.3 ball recoveries per outing, also succeeding with 67% of his attempted dribbles.
It is this level of rounded prowess, an all-encompassing style, that has left Klopp’s side so interested in signing him, given that Henderson was himself signed from the Black Cats in a deal worth around £20m back in 2011.
A man who has had his doubters right throughout his career, Henderson completed 492 appearances for Liverpool, scoring 33 goals and supplying 61 assists, and captained the side to the whole gamut of silverware under Klopp’s stewardship.
Described as a “beacon of hope” for Liverpool by the Times’ Henry Winter, the 33-year-old boasts a career pass success rate of 83.7%, having also made 1.7 tackles, 1.2 interceptions and taken 1.1 key passes each game, as per WhoScored.
Neil already looks a refined star and could provide the depth Klopp needs to challenge for silverware across four competitions this year, having lost Fabinho, James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain alongside Henderson this summer.
By moving to Liverpool, Neil could emulate his distinguished confrere and rise to the fore, providing the all-action angle to the Reds’ centre, having been hailed as a “starry-eyed kid” by his former Sunderland boss Lee Johnson.
It initially looked as though Gravenberch would be the final piece of business for Liverpool, but if an astute deal can be agreed for a burgeoning star in Neil, the Merseyside outfit’s midfield could truly enter a new, illustrious phase.