Home Football £50 Million Puzzle Piece for Midfield: Liverpool Contemplates Deal with Atalanta’s Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, Mapping Out Future Plans

£50 Million Puzzle Piece for Midfield: Liverpool Contemplates Deal with Atalanta’s Midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, Mapping Out Future Plans

Football — 01/26/2024

Liverpool are reportedly exploring a deal for Atalanta midfielder Teun Koopmeiners, in a deal that could be worth £50 million. According to Tutto Atalanta, Jurgen Klopp could look towards the Dutchman to add the finishing touches to his midfield rebuild.

Sporting director welcomes Liverpool interest in Teun Koopmeiners - but “nothing concrete” - Liverpool FC - This Is Anfield

That rebuild saw Alexis MacAllister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, and Wataru Endo join the club in the summer. However, Koopmeiners could prove to be the final piece in the midfield jigsaw.

Liverpool have been linked with a move for the 25-year-old for a number of transfer windows now, but with Koopmeiners’ contract expiry moving closer, a move is becoming increasingly likely.

Photo: IMAGO

WHO IS TEUN KOOPMEINERS?

Teun Koopmeiners is a 25-year-old defensive midfielder, currently playing for Atalanta in Serie A. Despite naturally being deployed at the base of the midfield, Koopmeiners has also shown his ability in more advanced midfield roles.

Since signing for the Italian outfit from AZ Alkmaar back in the summer of 2021, the Dutchman has racked up 104 appearances. During his time in Italy, Koopmeiners has showcased his creative skills with 21 goals and 12 assists.

It’s not just domestically that the 25-year-old has caught the eye. The midfielder already has 20 caps for the Dutch national team, playing alongside the likes of Virgil Van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, and Ryan Gravenberch.

According to Transfermarkt, Koopmeiners’ current contract at Atalanta is set to expire in the summer of 2027 and is currently valued at around £40 million.Atalanta inform Liverpool of Koopmeiners price - DaveOCKOP

KOOPMEINERS’ TACTICAL FIT AT LIVERPOOL:

Koopmeiners’ versatility is definitely a trait that will be heavily admired by Jurgen Klopp. The Dutchman can slot into numerous positions with ease, in a similar way to how Alexis Mac Allister has in the opening months of his Liverpool career.

The 25-year-old is effectively a hybrid of the two types of defensive midfielders we’ve seen at Liverpool under Klopp. He provides a tall and physical presence that we haven’t quite seen since the departure of Fabinho in the summer, while possessing a lot of the natural footballing ability that we see with Mac Allister and Endo.

This can be seen clearly when taking a deeper look at his stats radar provided by fbref.

As you can see on his radar, Koopmeiners’ defensive nature is equally matched by his progressive ball-playing nature.

While proving his defensive ability by averaging 1.91 tackles + interceptions and 1.20 blocks per 90 minutes, the midfielder also averages 64.99 touches, 2.10 key passes, and 6.16 progressive passes per 90 minutes. These on-the-ball numbers are hugely important, but they do suggest that he may have the ability to suit Klopp’s system.

KOOPMEINERS: YES OR NO?

Ultimately, I think this would be a fantastic piece of business by Liverpool that would see them sign a player oozing with both class and potential. The 25-year-old certainly has the potential to become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp’s reinvented Liverpool side.

In comparison to the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Antonio Rudiger, who have been linked with a move to Merseyside, this would be a much more intelligent signing.

This could definitely be a move to keep an eye on in the summer window, but it is likely a non-starter this month.