June 26th 2023.
Former England goalkeeper David James has questioned why Liverpool did not make more of an effort to sign Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea. The Croatian midfielder is set to join Manchester City in a deal worth £30m, but James believes he would have been a better fit at Anfield.
James was full of praise for Kovacic, who has made over 200 appearances for Chelsea since joining the Blues in 2018, and his impact in helping the club win the Champions League and Europa League.
"Someone who plays like Mateo Kovacic does, I would have thought would be more suited to Liverpool than Manchester City," James told King Casino Bonus.
"I’ve been buzzing off this guy for a few years now; the way he picks the ball up and goes through lines with ease, it looks like he is always at 100mph. There is something magical about the way he plays."
James believes Kovacic would have been an ideal fit for the way Liverpool have played since Jurgen Klopp took over, and contrasted it with the slower, more methodical approach of Manchester City.
"The way that Man City play is typically a lot slower and less reliant on running with the ball, just look at Kevin de Bruyne’s passing stats," James said. "Pep Guardiola might be thinking of having a tactical re-think again, Kovacic isn’t the type of player I thought Man City would be going after."
Kovacic's transfer will cost Manchester City an initial fee of £25m, with £5m in potential add-ons. Chelsea are selling a number of players this summer to trim their squad ahead of the arrival of new manager Mauricio Pochettino.
James believes Liverpool should have made a move for Kovacic, suggesting the move would have been a great fit at Anfield.
"Then again, neither was Erling Haaland and that worked out alright! I think if a player like Kovacic went for Liverpool however, I think that would be a great fit," James concluded.
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