After three consecutive Premier League wins, Liverpool, ranked 7th, are expected to finish in the top 5 and even see a glimmer of hope of catching up with Manchester United and finishing in the top 4.
Whether or not they reach the Champions League, Liverpool's rebuilding work is imperative. A good midfielder and a healthy centre-back are the focus of the team's strengthening. Nice pair of Jefflen Thuram and Todibo have become Klopp's targets, and if they can get it, it will give Liverpool's fighting power a qualitative boost.
01. Liverpool's midfield problem: Kevlaren Thuram is the best antidote
a. Liverpool's midfield problem: Slowness is fundamental
Judging from the last two strong conversations, against Arsenal and Chelsea, Liverpool suffered a big loss in midfield. Especially against Chelsea, Jurgen Klopp's side were even completely controlled and pressed by the opposing team.
Even if Firmino is allowed to withdraw from any half of the midfield and forward midfield, the combination of Henderson, Fabinho and Jones has average individual possession on the one hand, and slow movement on the other hand.
One of Liverpool's biggest problems in midfield right now is the slow pace of turning and moving. The combination of Fabinho and Henderson has a natural hard injury.
Especially when the front striker uses a high pressing position, if the midfield cannot harvest the ball in time, there will be a problem of disconnection.
Coupled with the fact that Liverpool's central defender is a double-high option, once the midfield is disjointed, it will cause the entire central axis to appear bulky.
B. Kevlen Thuram: Good passing and starting speed
When Kevlaren Thuram is first mentioned, everyone first introduces his champion father, Thuram at the World Cup in France in '02.
In addition, his older brother Marcus Thuram also played well at the World Cup in Qatar, coming off the bench in France's final against Argentina and becoming one of the key figures in helping the team to usher in the rebound.
However, as long as you have watched the Kevlen Thuram game, you will sigh that their family's football DNA is still his most talented.
Height 1.9 meters, fast movement frequency, explosive starting speed, excellent physical flexibility and passing footwork.
On this counter-attack, Kevlaren Thuram changed beautifully at his feet and could also observe Pepe's position to send a wonderful pass, showing his superstar potential.
Looking at the offensive and defensive conversion this time, Kevlen Thuram's non-stop overhead ball allowed Murphy to single-handedly break through Monaco.
The 22-year-old young midfielder is arguably the most talented existence in the post-00s generation.
More than just dribbling and one pass, Kevlaren Thuram is excellent with his long passes, forward awareness and impact.
He shifted the ball in the middle circle to find the winger in front, and then inserted all the way forward at high speed to catch a cross-pass shot from his teammate. Although he didn't score this time, this kind of ability will be something Klopp likes very much.
The only obstacle is that Nice may ask for 60 million euros for him. However, there is some room for negotiation, and in any case, Kevlen-Thuram's potential is not inferior to Bellingham, and the value for money is obviously higher.
02. Barca abandon Todibo: a good choice to succeed Matip
a. Big guy who can run: good at chasing back and sideways
One of Nice's central axes is centre-back Todibo, midfielder Kevlen Thuram and centre-forward Murphy. Liverpool have not only met 22-year-old Kevlen Thuram, but also 23-year-old Todibo.
Transferred from Barca to Nice, he spent two and a half years in Ligue 1 and has been selected for the French national team. In addition to Liverpool, Paris, Manchester United, Juve and Napoli are also interested in him.
Todibo's turn is not fast, but he moves sideways at a good speed. He has excellent explosive power and can instantly shorten the distance between him and his opponent.
At the same time, when making moves in the box, he is still relatively sophisticated and calm, and can often complete some key blocking and rescue.
In addition, Todibo's defensive responsibility is good, and his high-speed recovery is always impressive when the team presses forward as a whole and the opponent counterattacks.
Especially the right wing, which is his best show. Most wingers can't shake off Todibo's defence, whether it's speed, power or frequency of foot movements, even Kylian Mbappe can't take advantage.
b. The team reports the top 10 in Ligue 1 ratings: he is ranked first in the small club
According to the average rating reported by the team to Ligue 1 players per game, Todibo ranks 7th among all players.
Considering that the players before him are all Paris and Lens, who are from the top 2 of the Ligue 1 table, Todibo's performance this season is even more eye-catching.
Todibo could in some ways replace Matip, whose contract expires next season. Because he has good skills at his feet, he is also good at attacking directly with straight plugs or long passes.
This wave of offensive and defensive switching can be described as a classic, seeing that Ligue 1 rising star Wahe is about to get a one-handed chance, and the strong recovery Todibo broke the ball successfully.
Followed by Todibo and even played with foot work, completed 2 man-ball crosses, and then beautifully shifted the ball to find a teammate on the wing, directly hit back the counterattack with a header, and entered the opponent's penalty area.
Looking at the attack again, Todibo used a straight ball in a positional battle to start the team's entry into the opponent's box.
Klopp's preference and reliance on Matip is clear at a glance, and Todibo would be the best replacement if he could join the team.
03. Todibo and Arnold are a match made in heaven: perfect for closing the hole
A. Alexander-Arnold's attacking talent: worthy of Liverpool to fill in the holes for him
Looking at Alexander-Arnold's heatmap, it really doesn't look like a right-back. His holes in defence are well known, but his attacking ability makes Liverpool worth the risk for him.
Because of the aging of Henderson and Matip, the problem of Arnold's offensive strength and weakness seems too abrupt. Liverpool need to find a new partner for him to close the loopholes.
Because Alexander-Arnold, even nominally a right-back, his passing ability in midfield is even the first in Liverpool.
This time the overhead goal assisted Núñez's goal, which is an example.
Looking at this wave of attack, Alexander-Arnold almost completed the final kill against Arsenal after taking the ball in the middle of the box and overthrowing the ball into the box.
Such a habit of playing, as well as the choice of position, also doomed him to problems on the defensive end. So who can fill the gap is the most critical answer.
b. Todibo and Arnold are a match made in heaven
Why Todibo is the most suitable central defender for Alexander-Arnold can be seen by looking at his heat map. Todibo's ability to fill in crossways is much better than his vertical defensive performance.
Because Todibo sometimes makes too much of a grab, even if he wins the striker one-on-one, it is easy to be caught by the second-row attackers who follow behind him.
So in terms of longitudinal front top, Todibo, although good, has flaws. In contrast, the success rate of lateral defense on the one hand to clear the sideline is high, and the wing is unlikely to encounter the situation of the second row following up and seizing opportunities, which also allows Todibo to better enjoy the thrill of "one-on-one knockout opponent".
This wave of defense is typical, with Todibo standing directly at right-back when the opponent counterattacks.
After the first break, Todibo had excellent ball control at his feet and dared to make moves. Then his teammate made a mistake and Todibo quickly returned to the middle to intercept the opponent's cross.
He is actually slightly better at handling crosses from the next three than the highball air defense (which sometimes rises to the top). Given Todibo's technical characteristics, he may also be the right choice for Van Dijk when choosing a double high back.
Conclusion:
Nice's current asking price for them is €60 million (Kevlen-Thuram) and €40 million (Todibo).
In other words, Liverpool only need to spend a maximum of 100 million euros to get the two most important cornerstone players on the road to rebuilding. It may even be reinforced more affordably through bargaining. If they can join the team, Liverpool's central midfield next season is expected to usher in a new feeling.