Report: Liverpool target a must buy with pace and defensive work-rate | OneFootball

Liverpool Target Ibrahim Mbaye Has Pace and Work Rate That Make Him a Must Buy

Liverpool target Ibrahim Mbaye emerged as one of the most compelling subjects discussed by Dave Davis and Dr Phil Barts on the latest Transfer Market Metric podcast for Anfield Index, with pace, progression and work rate featuring prominently in their assessment.

Davis immediately made his feelings clear when introducing the 18 year old: “I like this kid.” His enthusiasm centred particularly on Mbaye’s acceleration, observing how “he will stand up his fullback and just burn him” and describing him as “exciting to watch”.

Pace Gives Liverpool Something Different

Barts identified an attractive statistical combination in Mbaye’s ability to advance possession.

“The beautiful mix he’s got is he can progress the football by passing and carrying, right? is 96 percentile for carrying.”

He added: “But he’s also can pass it 83rd percentile progressively.”

Those numbers were reinforced by Mbaye’s 97th percentile XT build figure. Barts’ conclusion was emphatic: “I think he’s exceptional at moving the team forward.” He later described how Mbaye “gets you up the pitch with quality with pace and it’s exciting”.

That pace comes with end product. Barts highlighted an overall final product ranking in the 85th percentile and threat rating in the 92nd percentile. He also said Mbaye “does make the right decision more often than not and he creates something dangerous from the areas.”

Photo: IMAGO

Work Rate Strengthens Must Buy Argument

Perhaps the most significant element of the discussion concerned work rate.

Davis highlighted how Mbaye “works his nuts off both ways”, before Barts focused on the youngster’s mentality.

“The tenacity he works at both sides of the ball the willingness to do the work for the team” was how Barts described one of Mbaye’s defining qualities. He also identified an “inner trait”, adding that Mbaye appears to possess the attitude “that I need to work hard for my career” and stressed that this “includes both on and off the ball and he does that.”

For a Liverpool side built around high intensity football, those comments carry considerable weight. Barts said Mbaye “seems he has a lot of tools that we consistently highlight as being important”, specifically referencing “high intensity football”, counterattacking danger and quality in possession.

Crossing Remains Area for Development

Transfer Market Metric also identified weaknesses.

Mbaye’s crossing ranked in the 18th percentile. Barts acknowledged: “It’s not brilliant. It’s not it’s not it is not great, but it’s still he’s in the right area. He’s trying to do the right thing.”

Davis similarly noted examples where Mbaye beat his fullback before the delivery disappointed, estimating from the footage that “a one in three maybe average is a decent cross.”

Barts pointed towards Mbaye’s limited senior minutes when discussing development, saying the opportunity to practise crossing at elite level has consequently been limited.

Liverpool Must Buy Before Opportunity Disappears

Asked whether he would buy Mbaye, Barts answered directly: “I would I think he’s a young exciting player.”

His reasoning also carried urgency: “if you don’t get this kind of lad now, someone else will”. He subsequently described Mbaye as “a really good option to have” from the bench or in midweek fixtures.

Barts ultimately delivered the strongest endorsement of this Liverpool target: “I think he could be a really good buyer for us, I have to say. I just hope we we pull the trigger on this one.”

Davis agreed, referencing talk of “around 35 million quid” and describing an 18 year old who “is rapid, can stand a man up and just burn him, has that acceleration” and “actively defends both ways”.

For Davis and Barts, the conclusion was straightforward. Discussing Mbaye and Barcola, Barts said: “Get them both in, move on, get the season started.” Asked whether they would improve Liverpool, he added: “Yeah, they would give us things that we don’t have. Simple as that.”

Source: Anfield Index