Finding the next Fabinho
Would it be easier to keep the Brazilian at centre-back and sign a new midfielder?
It’s Sam. I’m just about out of my shortbread coma.
New year, old me. Yes, I’m back in lockdown and back writing about Liverpool centre-backs. I’ve already covered off why Conor Coady wouldn’t fit in at Anfield, I’ve looked at possible Virgil van Dijk replacements and then tried to identify a reliable third-choice option for the Reds.
Today, I’m going to focus on Fabinho.
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The Premier League champions have been linked with a host of centre-backs over recent weeks. Sven Botman, David Carmo, Gleison Bremer and Ben White are reportedly on the club’s radar, while Ozan Kabak’s name also keeps popping up. All five players have things that go in their favour, but are any of them perfect?
For example, Botman ticks all of the boxes physically. He’s posting aerial numbers that Van Dijk would be proud of and he can pick a pass. However, he isn’t the quickest and that has resulted in some questioning whether he’d be able to cope in Liverpool’s high defensive line.
Ben White is a progressive passer and looks adept at carrying the ball out from deep areas. Stylistically, he’s more Joe Gomez than he is Van Dijk, and that is also the case with his defensive numbers. He’s winning just 59% of his aerial duels this season and it was 55% while playing for Leeds last year.
Bremer looks to be explosively quick and Carmo is no slouch. The former, however, doesn’t compete for many aerial duels and looks loose in possession. Carmo profiles really well, but he’s a bit of an unknown in the sense he’s playing for Braga in Portugal and the step up to playing in the Premier League might be too great right now, especially when playing for a team competing for the title.
Liverpool are famed for their approach in the transfer market. They aren’t going to rush into something unless they feel the player is a perfect fit. There’s even been talk that two defenders are needed due to the unreliability of those currently at Anfield.
Bringing in two new faces is a gamble. With this in mind, a possible option could be to keep Fabinho at centre-back and instead buy a new defensive midfielder.
In the 15 matches since the Brazilian was moved there to fill the void caused by Van Dijk’s injury, the Reds have kept seven clean sheets and they’ve only lost on two occasions. He’s arguably been Liverpool’s most consistent player this season, despite playing alongside a different player most weeks. He was thrown in at the deep end and there’s only been a handful of occasions where he’s looked like a midfielder at centre-back.
However, his presence and skillset in the midfield has been missed. He’d likely look even more assured at centre-back with a Fabinho ahead of him. He’s one of the best around in that role, but it’s perhaps easier to find to find someone with his profile than it is to find someone with Van Dijk’s.
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What makes the Liverpool No.3 so effective is his use of the ball and his reading of the game. He’s also handy in the air for a midfielder, winning 65% of his duels last season. Only Paul Pogba and Etienne Capoue could boast a better total.
Quantifying his strengths is difficult. For example, you could make a point that tackles and interceptions show a great reading of the game, but those metrics are heavily reliant on volume and how busy the team is defensively. Just because a player is posting similar numbers to Fabinho doesn’t necessarily mean they could do his job in the Liverpool team. Likewise, just because a player isn’t posting his numbers doesn’t mean their output isn’t scalable.
For this though, we’re going to use passes attempted, aerial duels attempted, interceptions and ball recoveries as a base. After all, these are all metrics he impresses in.
One standout name is Teun Koopmeiners. The 22-year-old plays as part of a midfield two for AZ Alkmaar and he’s been linked with Leeds and Everton in the past. Since the start of the 2018/19 campaign, he’s averaged 66 passes per 90, the same number as Fabinho. He’s also matched the Brazilian’s ten ball recoveries and averages more interceptions, though that could be down to playing in a two as opposed to a three.
Fabinho attempts more aerial duels (3.49) but that, again, could be down to style. What is positive is that Koopmeiners is attempting close to 2.5 per 90. The 6ft midfielder has a varied passing style and is capable of pinging a pass 60-yards and sliding a simple five-yard one into feet.
An added bonus is the fact he’s able to play centre-back. He’s filled in at left centre-back for AZ recently and often drops into that part of the pitch during their build-up. He could switch with Fabinho during the game if required. He is one possibility.
Renato Sanches also ranks well in some of these metrics, though his injury record would likely put Liverpool off. Reliability is just as important as actual footballing ability. Mikel Merino is another who shows up well, but he was homesick during his time with Newcastle United.
Ibrahim Sangaré has settled into life at PSV and is once again impressing. The 23-year-old caught the eye at Toulouse before, surprisingly, ending up in Holland. The 6ft4ins Ivory Coast international is a one-man midfielder. He’s making 12 ball recoveries per 90, six interceptions, attempting over four aerial duels and playing 60 passes per 90. He also completes 86% of his passes, the same as Fabinho.
Sander Berge is also another possibility, though Liverpool and Sheffield United don’t have the best relationship right now and he’d come with a Premier League premium on the fee.
It might not be the ideal solution, but there are better-suited options to playing as the six in the Liverpool team than there are centre-backs. Maybe that is how Liverpool fix their defensive issues.
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