James Forrest would be an ideal fit for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool
According to the Scottish Sun, Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp had been keeping close tabs on Celtic winger James Forrest and the Reds are interested in securing the services of the 27-year-old in an £8million deal next summer.
The same report claims that Klopp is impressed by Forrest’s heroics this term which has seen the 27-year-old rack up 17 goals for Celtic and Scotland.
A product of Celtic’s youth system, Forrest made his first-team debut back in the 2009-10 season and has established himself as one of the hottest properties in the Scottish Premiership. He has been a key player in a successful era for the Hoops, helping them win seven successive league titles.
Regarded as one of the best players in Scotland, Forrest has racked up a mammoth 326 appearances for Celtic across all competitions, accumulating 66 goals and 67 assists. A full international for Scotland since 2011, Forrest has 26 caps under his belt and has scored 5 goals for his nation.
Standing at 5ft. 9 inches, James Forrest is essentially a right winger by trade but he has also been used on the left. Primarily a right-footed creative winger, the 27-year-old is known for his explosive pace, quick acceleration, dribbling skills, vision and he has the stamina to play the ninety minutes with the same intensity.
Blessed with the advantage of low centre of gravity, Forrest combines his wonderful technique with his quick feet and good body balance to embark on powerful driving runs down the flanks. He has plenty of pace, flair, agility and athleticism about himself but the most impressive thing about him is that he knows exactly how to combine the different aspects of his game.
Far from a one-trick pony, Forrest has the skills to beat his marker with sudden bursts of pace and clever changes of direction but he also has the awareness and ability to link-up effectively with his teammates down the wide areas and picks out the perfect pass. To add to that, he is also a good crosser who can find the head of the centre-forward inside the box with precise deliveries from the flanks.
It is largely due to his pace and ability to make runs behind the defenders that have prompted the managers to use him as a supporting striker at times. Furthermore, he is a very good finisher who is known for his clinical nature in front of goal.
To put things into perspective, he would be an ideal addition to Liverpool’s squad next summer. Granted, the Reds have a good enough set of players to challenge for the Premier League title but they should always be on the lookout for new faces to keep up the level of competition for places in the first team.
To be honest, someone like James Forrest is tailor-made for Jurgen Klopp’s high-intensity attacking football. A fast, explosive and skilful player with plenty of stamina and high levels of fitness, Forrest has all the attributes to make an impact at Anfield under Klopp.
As a matter of fact, he would be an ideal replacement for the likes of James Milner and Adam Lallana next summer. Lallana has struggled to cope with injuries while Milner, 32, is going to find it tough to meet the demands of Klopp’s intense football in the coming days.
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That said, the Reds should follow up their interest in the Scotsman next summer and table a bid to land him.
