‘Perfect fit’ Kevin De Bruyne should consider a sensational move from Manchester City to Liverpool.
So says the former Reds striker Stan Collymore.
Kevin De Bruyne fully deserved to be named PFA Player of the Year – he was Mr. Consistency at such a high level.
But that amazes me: isn’t it time to test yourself at Real Madrid, a rejuvenated Barcelona, or – here is one to get the cat among the pigeons – Liverpool?
De Bruyne has not yet played for a big club as Chelsea and Manchester City have B-class expectations. In Wolfsburg it’s a C and Belgium is more of a dark horse than a front runner.
The only way he can really give the game his greatness is to join a club where he has A * expectations, and at the height of his powers there is no better time for him to do so. De Bruyne would be a perfect match for Liverpool.
He could lead a midfield that already has all the qualities to get the best out of him.
He could make them a really great team, winning multiple Premier League and Champions League titles. I can hear City fans screaming, ‘Nonsense, Stan’. But it’s just nonsense if Liverpool don’t have the brass neck or the finances for it.
Some of the big steps started from a starting point: “Come down, this could never happen”.
But in terms of City, this is not a move from Barca to Madrid or vice versa, and even that is a path that has been taken at times.
Nibbling at De Bruyne should be a breeze for Liverpool as it would make a midfield excellent last season even better.
Most Liverpool fans would tell you their midfield is 8/10 from today’s perspective, compared to rearguard and forward lines of 9/10. To really dominate at home and in Europe, Liverpool need more goals and assists from midfield.
And in De Bruyne you would have a player who always finds a striker with a pass and always weighs up goals and free kicks.
That has a kicker too, and that is that the player I’d like to see in Liverpool midfield alongside him is Liverpool-born right-back Trent Alexander-Arnold.
I would try to find another full-back like Andy Robertson for the right side if I were Anfield manager Jürgen Klopp and seriously looked into whether Alexander-Arnold could take the step forward.
Imagine having him and De Bruyne behind you with skipper Jordan Henderson, Brazilian international Fabinho or Naby Keita.
They would have sweeping passes, athleticism, dynamism, creativity, and support for fun, with Alexander-Arnold learning from De Bruyne and the couple to develop an almost telepathic understanding.
If they could do that, Liverpool would not only win multiple doubles and triples, but also have a midfield that is arguably untouchable for the next four or five years.
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