Why Liverpool signing Perr Schuurs in January would be a smart move
According to claims from Corriere Dello Sport (h/t ESPN), Liverpool have once again been linked with a move for highly-rated Ajax defender Perr Schuurs ahead of the January window.
As per the report, Reds boss Jurgen Klopp is keen to dip into the winter market in a bid to solve the club’s ongoing crisis at the back and has made a £27million offer for the Dutchman. It has also been claimed that Ajax would be prepared to cash in on Schuurs for the amount offered by the reigning Premier League champions.
Profile
A youth exponent of Dutch outfit Fortuna Sittard, Perr Schuurs made his senior professional debut in the second-tier during the 2016-17 season. His rapid progress paved the way for a move to the top-flight with heavyweights Ajax in January 2018, although Schuurs was loaned back to Fortuna Sittard for the remainder of the 2017-18 campaign.
Schuurs, who scored 10 goals in 60 appearances for his boyhood club Fortuna Sittard, initially featured for Ajax’s reserve side in the Eerste Divisie. He eventually made his Eredivisie debut as a substitute in a 5-0 win over AZ Alkmaar in October 2018, finishing the 2018-19 season with 4 senior appearances under his belt.
The 21-year-old established himself in a more prominent role at the Dutch capital last term, featuring 17 times in all competitions. Schuurs has gone from strength to strength to nail down a regular starting role at the heart of Ajax’s backline this term, starting 8 league fixtures whilst also impressing in the group stages of the Champions League.
Schuurs has represented the Netherlands at U-19, U-20 and U-21 levels and was recently called up to the senior squad. But he remains uncapped at the international levels.
Schuurs would offer the Reds a long-term solution at the back
Liverpool went into the ongoing campaign somewhat light in the centre-back department following the sale of veteran defender Dejan Lovren to Zenit St. Petersburg.
And long-term injuries to mainstays Joe Gomez and Virgil van Dijk have reduced the Reds to bare bones at the heart of the backline. As a result, Klopp faces an uphill task of defending the PL crown without the services of two of his most trusted lieutenants at the back.
Youngsters Nathaniel Phillips and Rhys Williams have partnered Joel Matip at the back to varying degrees of success while Fabinho has also been shifted to a defensive role. However, it’s a no-brainer that the ongoing defensive crisis at Anfield calls for some immediate cover. Liverpool surely need to start lining up some targets with the January just more than four weeks away.
To put things into perspective, Liverpool completing a raid on Ajax for Perr Schuurs would make complete sense in footballing terms. Pretty much a regular fixture at the back for Ajax this season, the Dutch starlet has shown that he is more than capable of playing week in, week out at the senior level.
He might not be the finished article just yet but a potential deal for the youngster in January would certainly provide Klopp some quality cover in a depleted area of the squad. The centre-back has also been knocking on the door of Louis van Gaal’s senior Netherlands side, which clearly underlines his rapid progress over the past 12 months.
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Verdict
Liverpool would be better off buying a new centre-back with one eye on the future rather than investing in a temporary solution to alleviate the defensive crisis. Perr Schuurs is widely regarded as a player with a lot of potential and has already made significant strides in his development.
The 21-year-old is only going to get better with time and playing under a charismatic boss like Klopp at Anfield will surely bring the best out of him in the coming seasons.
