Dr Barter: ‘Progressive monster’ defender should be top Liverpool target | OneFootball

Liverpool’s Guehi Alternatives Explored on The TMM Podcast

Guehi Remains a Key Talking Point

Liverpool’s interest in Marc Guehi continues to dominate discussions, with The TMM Podcast on Anfield Index diving deep into both Guehi and the list of alternatives the club may pursue. Dave Davis reminded listeners that, “Liverpool had a lot of centre backs on their radar last summer… Marc Guehi was an option as they call it the quote unquote market opportunity.”

The conversation stressed that while Guehi was not top of Liverpool’s profile list in pure defensive data terms, his Premier League experience and contract situation made him an appealing opportunity. As Davis noted, “It was those market opportunity elements that pushed him higher.”

Photo: IMAGO

Alternatives Profiled in Detail

Dr Phil Barter went through a full ranking of potential alternatives, providing insight into how Liverpool are assessing the market. He spoke about the young Frenchman Jérémy Jacquet, explaining, “He profiles okay for a kid… tackles, interceptions, 90 all in the 95th plus percentile… but passing [is] not this kid’s strength… minutes wise, low.”

Photo IMAGO

Barter emphasised that Liverpool cannot rely on such limited experience if Ibrahima Konaté leaves, saying, “That’s a huge scale up… more than is recommended for a kid.” This was a consistent theme: the need for players capable of handling 3,000 minutes in a top-level side next season.

Nico Schlotterbeck was another name highlighted. Barter pointed out, “Progressive passes at 90th… line breaker ones that we know we saw Leoni to do and VVD started to do… there is a lot of things to like about this kid.” However, his major knee injury and left-sided profile were concerns, as Barter admitted, “It’s just that injury element I’d be a little bit worried about at the moment.”

Picture:IMAGO

Koulierakis and Van Hecke Discussed

Koulierakis was described as a consistent option: “There’s not a lot of red on there… pass completion 82 is low… but still a good pass completion.” Barter liked his ability to scale up minutes easily and saw him as a player who could learn under Virgil van Dijk.

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The discussion of Jean Paul van Hecke was especially enthusiastic. Davis called him “a progressive monster,” and Barter highlighted, “Progressive carry is 95th percentile and then passes 96 percentile so he is progressing the ball via carry or pass at just short of nine a game that is for a centre half.”

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Comparisons with Guehi were telling, with Barter noting, “Van Hecke is probably better on the ball than Guehi … Guehi is better in the box.” His Premier League experience and contract situation make him an attractive option for Liverpool, potentially at a more accessible fee.

Liverpool’s Summer Shaping Up

The podcast closed with Davis summarising Liverpool’s likely approach: “It’s still probably Guehi and one of these because there’s the expectation that… Konate will move on or not sign… So, it’s Guehi on the free and one of these, isn’t it?”

Barter agreed, adding that bringing in two players capable of playing “3,000 top minutes at a top level” would be smart business and manageable financially.