12 Oct 2016

Boss raves: 'Incredible' €28m powerhouse wanted by Liverpool is 'like Pogba'. Klopp wants January deal

Liverpool are currently linked with a move for 'incredible' Inter Milan star Geoffrey Kondogbia, but Inter boss Frank De Boer appears surprisingly keen to keep the combative midfielder.

Last week, Kondogbia's agent, Jonathan Maarek, indirectly confirmed Liverpool's interest, and when asked this week about the possibility of a transfer, De Boer told reporters:

"Kondogbia is like Pogba. He is physically strong and has a lot of quality. He has all the characteristics needed to become a top player".

This is a complete one-eighty from De Boer's comments a couple of weeks ago, when he publicly blasted Kondogbia for making 'mistakes' during games:

"He makes the same mistakes often. We cannot accept that from players when we’ve told them many times. I told him he needs to play simple balls, but he just doesn't want to listen".

De Boer has benched Kondogbia for 4 of Inter's last 6 games, and prior to the International break, the Dutch boss even subbed him off after 27 minutes against Bologna.

I can understand De Boer's frustration. As many readers who play football will attest, there's nothing more frustrating than having players in your team who refuse to keep things simple, and constantly give the ball away (either through pointless tricks, panicking on the ball, aimless long balls, trying to prove they're Lionel Messi, or through technical ineptitude).

In 5-a-side - where team play, concentration, and work-rate are vitally important - this kind of thing is particularly galling, but I digress...

Despite his apparent flaws, Liverpool fans seem to want Kondogbia at Anfield. I conducted a poll last week asking fans if the Reds should sign the €28m-rated midfielder. The results:

* 55% of participating fans voted YES to the deal.

If Liverpool sign Kondogbia, what will it mean for Emre Can? After his recent injury, Can is struggling to get back into the team right now, and if the Reds sign another central midfielder, he will surely find it even harder to maintain a first-team place. My question is this: if Klopp has faith in Can, why sign Kondogbia on a (reputed) 6-month loan, especially in a season with a reduced fixture list?


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