Everything you need to know about Matias Lozano as Liverpool eye sensational midfielder | OneFootball

Here's everything you need to know about Matias Lozano.

Liverpool's recruitment is changing. With Michael Edwards' return the club has become braver in their recruitment - particularly when it comes to bringing in younger players.

We've seen the expansion of Liverpool's global scouting network and as a result we've seen the Reds secure the signing of Armin Pecsi, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe as ESC (Elite Significant Contribution) players

These are foreign footballers in the English football pyramid who do not meet the standard Governing Body Endorsement (GBE) points threshold for a work permit but are allowed to play through a special FA exemption.

An elite Premier League club can register up to four ESC players per season and it looks like Liverpool have their eyes on a fourth player in Lozano.

According to Colombian journalist Alexis Rodriguez, Liverpool are tracking Atletico Nacional midfielder.

Lozano is only 17-years-old so he's not eligible to move abroad as per FIFA rules just yet. However, he turns 18-years-old next month at which point he will be able to move to Anfield.

The youngster has recently become a regular for Atletico Nacional's senior team in the Colombian top flight and last month he became the third youngest player to score in the league in the club's history.

That should be an indication of just how talented he is. Like Ndiaye and Ndukwe, Lozano also caught the eye at the U17 World Cup last year taking place in Qatar.

He was a regular for Colombia's U17 national team and shone with his impressive performances.

What you need to be aware of about Lozano is that he is a midfielder, who prefers to be an attacking midfielder and likes to roam forward.

He is a very technical player with an exquisite first touch who thrives in the opposition’s final third. In those areas, Lozano is always trying to break lines. He regularly looks to receive the ball around the edges of the penalty area and he is very good at playing clever and perfectly weighed passes into the penalty area after he receives it.

He's got an excellent vision and awareness and that makes him a player who stands out already because of his age.

In the U17 World Cup he ranked third among midfielders for passes into the penalty area (2.87 per 90 minutes). And among players who averaged at least two passes into the penalty area he had the best accuracy (81.82%).

Most importantly, what will have also impressed scouts is how aggressive he is in his duels and out of possession. He wins a lot of balls and is quick to win the ball back in the final third.

He won 67% of his 5.5 defensive duels per 90 minutes at the U17 World Cup. He also averaged 8.87 recoveries per 90 minutes, 4.9 of these recoveries were in the opposition’s half.

In essence, he feels very much like an archetypal Liverpool player. Liverpool want their midfielders to win a lot of duels and work hard out of possession.

Lozano, based on the data available, is clearly someone who likes to press and get stuck in. But at the same time he exudes elegance and technical prowess, which makes him a really intriguing profile.

He showed great awareness to arrive in the box for his first senior goal as well, which was a well-taken header from a free-kick just seconds after he came onto the pitch.

It's been a while since Liverpool explored the South American market but it seems like things are changing under Edwards and having already brought players in from Hungary, Senegal and Austria, it would not be unfeasible for the Reds to sign someone from Colombia either.