Liverpool would be making a “panic buy” if they decided to sign Leicester midfielder Youri Tielemans, according to Sky Sports pundit Paul Merson.

Writing in his column for the Daily Star, Merson says the Reds shouldn’t recruit a player like the Belgian international, who may not fit into Jurgen Klopp’s system:

“One name that keeps cropping up is Youri Tielemans, who was dropped to the bench by Leicester last weekend as he continues to angle for a move. I’m just not sure if he suits Liverpool. I might be wrong but if they do go for him, it’s a panic buy. There hasn’t been any interest in him before this mini-crisis. I don’t like that – when you lose a couple of games and all of a sudden, you buy someone who wasn’t even on the radar.”

Merson does have a point about Tielemans. The 25-year-old is a good passer and a decent striker of the ball, but he isn’t a willing runner, which is a prerequisite for any midfielder who wants to be a regular starter for Liverpool.

The Belgian is thought to be available relatively cheaply, with reports suggesting that Leicester may offload him for between £25m and £30m due to his contract situation. Arsenal, Tottenham and Manchester United have all been credited with an interest in the player.

However, signing someone just because they are available for a good price isn’t enough. Liverpool have prided themselves on recruiting the ‘right’ players over the years and, as Merson says, Tielemans doesn’t really fall into that bracket.