5 Left Backs That Liverpool Could Sign To Give Robertson A Run For His Money

5 Left Backs That Liverpool Could Sign To Give Robertson A Run For His Money

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has hinted that he wants at least one major signing this summer.

The Reds boss has said that the club are keeping an eye out for one position in particular, although he doesn’t say which one:

“We have to see if we find maybe one position if we find something for it, but there’s no real pressure because it’s not about signing a player. We have solutions for all the situations.”

With Klopp having used academy product Yasser Larouci at left-back during pre-season, it seems to be almost certain that this is the area of the pitch Liverpool will be looking to strengthen.

Although talented, the Frenchman/Algerian is clearly not ready to play in the Premier League, and with Joe Gomez and James Milner being the only other alternatives to Andy Robertson, a bid for a new left-back seems likely. So, who could they go after?

I haven’t included players like Junior Firpo or Ryan Sessegnon in this list simply because their asking prices would likely rule Liverpool out of the running. They are looking for a backup a player who is happy to be on the bench but has the potential to develop his game:

Jamal Lewis (Norwich)

Jamal Lewis

The 21-year-old had an extremely impressive campaign as the Canaries were promoted to the Premier League. In his 31 appearances, he made four assists, and averaged 4.08 dribbles per 90, according to Wyscout, substantially more than Robertson (1.59).

However, Lewis cross completion rate (28.99%) is lower than Robertson’s and he attempts fewer crosses per match. Defensively, he has the good tackle success percentage (56%) compared to Robertson’s (just 18%).

Nicola Murru (Sampdoria)

The 24-year-old is a bit older than Lewis and is only slightly younger than Robertson, but he could be available for a reasonable amount. In terms of statistics, the Italian is active in terms of his defensive duties, averaging 7.15 successful defensive actions per game compared to Robertson’s 5.21. This means he makes more tackles, interceptions and engages in one-on-one defensive duels more frequently.

Murru’s attacking play is also pretty decent. He had four assists last season but crossed the ball just as regularly as Robertson (4.35 crosses to the Liverpool star’s 4.3 per 90 minutes) and his accuracy was good with 36% reaching their man.

Pedro Rebocho (Guingamp)

A bit of a left-field choice as he was relegated from Ligue One with his club last campaign, but he is reportedly available for just €5m, and has some very good numbers.

Rebocho made 11 assists last season, while defensively he averaged the same amount of successful defensive actions per game as Murru while also making numerous interceptions (5.38 per match). The 24-year-old is, though, the least proactive when it comes to tackling.

Ludwig Augustinsson (Werder Bremen)

The Swede is very similar in terms of his defensive stats to Robertson. Offensively, he is the most accurate crosser of the ball on this list (47%), although he does cross less frequently than the Liverpool left-back.

Augustinsson scored twice last season, one more than Robertson, and at 25 years of age, it could be argued he has the experience and knowledge to be a decent rival for the Scotland captain.

Aaron Martin (Mainz)

The Spaniard joined Mainz on a permanent basis for €6m this summer and is likely to be the most expensive as the German club won’t want to move the player on so quickly after signing him.

However, he was impressive on loan last season. Much like Lewis, he likes to dribble on the ball (averaging 3.07 per 90 mins), but like Robertson, he also crosses regularly and has greater accuracy than the Scot (34% to Robertson’s 30%)

Martin is, though, weaker defensively and does not cope well in the air, or in one-on-one situations. He could well be another Alberto Moreno so going after him would be a risk.

David Tully

David Tully

David has worked as a football reporter for the last fifteen years. Having started as an intern at Snack Media, he then went on to become a freelancer, working on various different sites. At the start of 2023, he took up his current role as content writer for National World's Football News Network.