Liverpool tracking market opportunity closely as La Liga star struggles for minutes | OneFootball

Liverpool are reportedly tracking Marc Bernal “closely” amid the midfielder’s struggle for minutes this season.

Juan Jesus notes on X (formerly Twitter) that the 19-year-old is still hoping to convince head coach Hansi Flick of his quality.

However, as things currently stand, the midfielder is not considered a first-choice option for Barcelona.

Should Liverpool sign Marc Bernal?

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This has the hallmarks of a potential market opportunity for Liverpool and Julian Ward. However, it will seemingly depend on the player expressing his preference clearly to Barca management.

At any rate, it seems we’re unlikely to be able to take advantage of this option until June, after the footballer’s playing time undergoes a review.

The only slight issue Liverpool have is that this is yet another young, developing player rather than the experienced operator – who crucially wants to sit behind the ball – this midfield is crying out for.

What do the stats say about Bernal?

It’s difficult to draw definitive conclusions around Marc Bernal with such a limited number of minutes (1,322 in La Liga) to analyse.

Liverpool should look at this after Lamine Camara

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Andoni Iraola has made impressive strides as Liverpool head coach, notably solidifying the club’s backline.

But the Basque is ultimately having to make do with an extremely unbalanced squad and lacks the tools available to fix things on a more permanent basis.

The former Bournemouth boss needs a reliable holding midfielder who naturally sits behind the ball. Lamine Camara at AS Monaco very much offers that, and ensures we’re not loading heaps of pressure on the shoulders of a promising, but ultimately inexperienced, star in Trey Nyoni.