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Liverpool are currently linked with a move for Argentinos Juniors midfielder Federico Redondo, who has seemingly been approved by fellow countryman Alexis Mac Allister.
Mac Allister made the switch to Merseyside last summer in a £35million move from Brighton and could now play a part in securing the services of another midfielder, according to Francis Plateau.
Plateau also revealed that Liverpool have made an enquiry about the 21-year-old and a fee of around £7million is expected to be enough to sign the youngster.
Who is Federico Redondo?
Federico Redondo is a defensive midfielder, currently playing for Argentinos Juniors in the top division in Argentina.
Despite being born in Madrid, the youngster has represented Argentina throughout his youth career with five caps for the Under-23 side so far.
At just 21-years-old, Redondo has already racked up 58 appearances for Argentinos whilst also becoming one of the hottest prospects in South America.
Redondo is highly rated at Argentinos and is currently valued at approximately £8million, according to Transfermarkt’s offificial website.
However, the youngster’s current contract is set to expire at the end of 2024 and could open the door to a cheaper deal for Liverpool.
Why do Liverpool want Federico Redondo?
Jurgen Klopp seems to have a clear idea behind what he wants from his defensive midfielders, especially based on the characteristics of Alexis Mac Allister and Wataru Endo.
Both of these players are largely different to the typical mould of a tall and physically imposing defensive midfielder, which we saw for years with Fabinho playing the role.
Instead, Klopp seems to want to have a holding midfielder that can break up the play but also play line-breaking forward passes, which we see plenty of from Mac Allister and Endo.
Redondo perfectly fits this new style of defensive midfielder, boasting a hugely impressive average of 7.07 progressive passes and 5.08 passes into the final third per 90 minutes.
Below you can see a comparison of Redondo’s passing statistics compared to Mac Allister and Endo’s:
Federico Redondo:
- Passes completed per 90- 50.79
- Pass completion %- 86.6%
- Progressive passes per 90- 7.07
- Passes into final third per 90- 5.08
- Key passes per 90- 0.92
Alexis Mac Allister:
- Passes completed per 90- 52.98
- Pass completion %- 85.8%
- Progressive passes per 90- 6.53
- Passes into final third per 90- 5.04
- Key passes per 90- 1.49
Wataru Endo:
- Passes completed per 90- 46.18
- Pass completion %- 84.1%
- Progressive passes per 90- 5.80
- Passes into final third per 90- 5.47
- Key passes per 90- 1.23
As you can see, Redondo holds a lot of potential in these passing departments that appear to be so crucial to Liverpool’s style of play.
However, as a defensive midfielder it is also hugely important to hold a solid standard of defensive abilities.
This is certainly an area where Redondo may need to improve his game, if he is to be effective in the Premier League.
Below you can see a comparison of Redondo’s defensive statistics compared to Klopp’s current defensive midfielders:
Federico Redondo:
- Tackles per 90- 2.28
- Blocks per 90- 1.31
- Interceptions per 90- 1.36
- Clearances per 90- 1.11
- Ball recoveries per 90- 8.42
Alexis Mac Allister:
- Tackles per 90- 2.13
- Blocks per 90- 1.55
- Interceptions per 90- 0.78
- Clearances per 90- 0.48
- Ball recoveries per 90- 6.30
Wataru Endo:
- Tackles per 90- 1.90
- Blocks per 90- 1.37
- Interceptions per 90- 0.97
- Clearances per 90- 1.47
- Ball recoveries per 90- 6.30
Based off this, Redondo’s defensive numbers look incredible but it is also important to note that Argentinos will be put under much more defensive pressure than Mac Allister and Endo will be at Liverpool.
However, it’s clear to see that Redondo boasts an incredibly high ceiling in terms of potential and £7million could be an absolute bargain for the Reds.
