MX23RW : Monday, May 27 07:42:02| >> :120:52726:52726:

How Liverpool could line up with Jadon Sancho

How Liverpool could line up with Jadon Sancho
© Reuters
Amid speculation linking Liverpool with an interest in Jadon Sancho, Sports Mole looks at how he could fit in to the European champions' plans.

Liverpool have firmly established themselves as the dominant force in world football over the past year or so, winning the Champions League, European Super Cup and Club World Cup in addition to domestic form the like of which has never been seen before.

Jurgen Klopp's side boast an unprecedented 25-point lead at the top of the Premier League table having won 25 of their 26 matches this term - the best record at this stage of a campaign in the history of Europe's top five leagues.

However, it has often been said that reaching the top of the mountain is the easy part - it is staying there that marks a truly great team.

Given that the Reds have taken 103 points from the last 105 on offer in the Premier League it is safe to assume that this team is not a flash in the pan, and the lack of activity in recent transfer windows suggests that Klopp feels as though his jigsaw is more or less complete.

New additions could be required to keep ahead of the chasing pack, though, and one player linked with a move to Anfield this summer is Borussia Dortmund winger Jadon Sancho.

The 19-year-old has been a revelation since his move to the Bundesliga but looks increasingly likely to return to England should any team meet his £100m asking price, although Barcelona and Bayern Munich are also thought to be in the running alongside Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Manchester City.

Here, Sports Mole looks at how Liverpool could line up if Sancho was to make the switch to Merseyside.



LIVXIwJS

The obvious question surrounding any Liverpool move for Sancho is where he would fit into the already world-class front three.

Stats of 16 goals and 17 assists in 30 games for a teenager demand that he start - not to mention his likely nine-figure price tag - but Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino are also among the first names on a star-studded team sheet and none of them would be likely to sit out on a regular basis.

Klopp's preferred formation is 4-3-3, but he has often switched to a 4-2-3-1 system when Plan A has not been working and it has yielded results on numerous occasions.

In that formation it is Salah who usually leads the line, with Firmino dropping into a number 10 role behind the striker, and a similar set-up would allow Sancho to play in his favoured right-wing role with Mane on the other flank.

The addition of Sancho would also lessen the impact of the Africa Cup of Nations, which is likely to deprive Liverpool of both Salah and Mane for a chunk of next season.

However, squeezing the youngster into the team has an inevitable impact elsewhere, and a 4-2-3-1 formation means one less midfield spot for Fabinho, Jordan Henderson, Georginio Wijnaldum, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, Adam Lallana and James Milner to fight over.

Captain Henderson and Wijnaldum have been in particularly good form this season, but the latter may be the most likely to miss out if one has to be cut given Fabinho's world-class ability to break play up and launch attacks.

ID:389798: cacheID:389798:1false2false3false:QQ:: from db desktop :LenBod:restore:5790:
Restore Data
Share this article now:
Borussia Dortmund's Jadon Sancho celebrates scoring their third goal in January 2020
Read Next:
Liverpool to be priced out of Jadon Sancho race?
>
rhs 2.0
Today's games header
Tables header RHS
TeamPWDLFAGDPTS
CManchester CityMan City38287396346291
2Arsenal38285591296289
3Liverpool382410486414582
4Aston Villa382081076611568
5Tottenham HotspurSpurs382061274611366
6Chelsea381891177631463
7Newcastle UnitedNewcastle381861485622360
8Manchester UnitedMan Utd38186145758-160
9West Ham UnitedWest Ham381410146074-1452
10Crystal Palace381310155758-149
11Brighton & Hove AlbionBrighton381212145562-748
12Bournemouth38139165467-1348
13Fulham38138175561-647
14Wolverhampton WanderersWolves38137185065-1546
15Everton38139164051-1140
16Brentford38109195665-939
17Nottingham ForestNott'm Forest3899204967-1832
RLuton TownLuton3868245285-3326
RBurnley3859244178-3724
RSheffield UnitedSheff Utd38372835104-6916


Sports Mole provides in-depth previews and predictions for every match from the biggest leagues and competitions in world football.
Argentina's Lionel Messi kisses the World Cup trophy after collecting the Golden Ball award on December 18, 2022Sign up for our FREE daily preview newsletter direct to your inbox!