Should Liverpool Target The Brazilian Midfielder Who Wins 83% Of His Tackles?

Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed a fruitful start to the Premier League campaign this season as his Liverpool side sit in second place after six rounds of Premier League action. Much of the attention has been thrown at Daniel Sturridge, who has scored five goals in six games, but the central midfield pairing of Lucas Leiva and Steven Gerrard has been pivotal to the Reds’ early success. Despite that, Liverpool look light in central midfield. Besides Lucas and Gerrard, Liverpool only have Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen who can play in the middle of the park, while Luis Alberto is more of a number 10. With that in mind, should Liverpool consider checking out Udinese’s Allan?
Formerly of Vasco da Gama of Brazil, the nippy little central player made a name for himself as a result of his versatility. Not only is he an established holding midfielder, Allan can press higher up the pitch and also drop back into the right-back berth.
Allan made his switch to Serie A last summer and was an essential cog in the Udinese wheel. Francesco Guidolin’s faith in the young player paid off, as he put in some sparkling performances as Allan appeared in 36 of the club’s 38 fixtures last season.

Allan Duels Won Last Season

While the Brazilian was sat in front of the defence, he racked up an impressive tackle completion of 81% – winning 124 of the 153 he went in for. His Brazilian compatriot in the Liverpool side, Lucas, couldn’t match that, as he won 90 of his 123 tackles and accumulated a success percentage of 73% from his 26 appearances.
This season, Allan has won 83% of his tackles, winning 25 tackles, while Liverpool’s Lucas has won 67% of his tackles, winning 20 tackles this term.
Allan was a huge reason why Udinese managed a final finish placed finish in Serie A last season. As well as his impressive defensive performances, the 22-year-old has an eye for a pass and was the creator of 31 chances last season, assisting five times. This season, he has created six chances.

Allan Chances Created (Last Season)

The fine form didn’t stop there, however. Although Udinese have had a mixed bag so far from their opening handful of games, Allan again sits second in their squad in relation to our Squawka performance ratings. After missing the season’s curtain raiser, Allan has played every minute of the club’s new campaign and it doesn’t look like that will change any time soon. So far in his five games he has won an incredible 73% of his individual duels – a percentage far superior to any outfield Liverpool player in the squad – and averaged four Defensive Actions per game.
Still only 22, Allen has showcased his intelligence off the ball – an integral attribute for a deep midfielder – by reading the game and making 12 interceptions already in his five outings.

Allan Defensive Actions (This Season)

On paper, the move would seem like a shrewd one. He’s unlikely to cost the club a fortune, although he is only a year into his five year deal. The Brazilian would offer the Reds versatility in midfield, as he can defend and support attacks. Furthermore, a player like Allan would give Lucas competition and cover, meaning Liverpool are not dependent on their number 21.