Liverpool have reportedly identified a new transfer target as Jurgen Klopp continues to bolster his squad after a challenging 2022/23 season, with the current campaign producing far greater results.
Klopp's squad fell by the wayside last year and there were credible concerns that the esteemed and adored manager was past his peak, headed for a miserable ending to his Anfield reign, not befitting of a man who has done so much for the red half of this city.
Finishing fifth in the Premier League, the Reds were in a pretty dire position heading into the business end, and looked destined for an abject end to the seasonal journey after fighting, and failing, for the quadruple the year before.
Perhaps the bitter blow of falling just short in both the Premier League and Champions League, and for all Klopp's efforts to crowbar some cohesion into his sapped side, the blunt fact was that the midfield was no longer fit for purpose.
Of course, that's all changed now, and a plaintive atmosphere has been wiped away, replaced by a palpable sense of optimism that Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo can sustain the engine room's form this season, with success across multiple fronts very much on the cards.
The work is never done though, and the industrial midfield rebuild came at the expense of defensive acquisitions, which now looks to be at the forefront of Klopp and co's strategy going forward.
Liverpool transfer news
According to a report from Football Insider late last month, Liverpool have 'set their sights' on Ajax defender Devyne Rensch, who has been one of the Dutch Eredivisie's most exciting prospects over the past several years.
A multi-action defender, Rensch has primarily featured as a right-back this season, and while Liverpool are well-equipped in that particular position with vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold, there has been a call for depth.
20-year-old defender Calvin Ramsey was touted for such a role after joining from Aberdeen in a £6.5m transfer last year, but has been horribly affected by injuries, playing just twice.
Rensch, also aged 20, is valued at £10m by Football Transfers, is also on Arsenal's radar and could be the perfect, unrefined starlet to be moulded into a valuable member of Liverpool's team.
Devyne Rensch's style of play
Ajax might be bottom of the Dutch top flight right now in what has been a shocking and catastrophic decline, but Rensch can hardly be blamed for the demise at such a young age, having demonstrated such promise in the early phase of his career.
Having risen through the esteemed De Toekomst youth ranks, Rensch has now forged 101 displays for his team, posting seven goals and six assists.
The one-cap Netherlands international's contract is set for expiry in 2025, which makes next year the perfect opportunity for Liverpool to test Ajax's resolve and convince Rensch to make the move out of his homeland.
As per FBref, Rensch ranks among the top 1% of full-backs across divisions similar to the Eredivisie for pass completion, the top 6% for passes attempted, the top 5% for progressive passes and the top 14% for interceptions per 90, highlighting that core quality so intrinsic to Ajax youth graduates.
His deployment in the Liverpool defence could pay dividends going forward, unleashing a new dimension and bolstering effectively to enrich the depth that is requisite for the possible success on Klopp's mind.
How Devyne Rensch would perform at Liverpool
While Rensch holds a versatile capacity that would allow Klopp to deploy him across a range of positions, he appears to have found a home on the right flank of the backline.
For all of Ajax's woes this season, Rensch has not actually performed too badly and is undoubtedly one of the most talented youngsters that the bruised Eredivisie giants have to offer.
Formerly described as an “incredible” prospect by talent scout Jacek Kulig, Rensch's natural faculty for ball-playing aligns with the way Klopp strives for his team to play, focussing on energy and intensity while maintaining a passing flow that allows the frontal performers such as Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah to excel.
Speaking of Salah, the world-class forward has forged quite the career for himself on Merseyside since joining from Italian Serie A side Roma for £34m in 2017, having scored 196 goals and supplied 83 assists from 319 appearances.
Heralded as "one of the greatest of all time" by pundit and former Ballon d'Or winner Michael Owen, the Egyptian star has been the offensive lynchpin of Klopp's dynasty, objectively one of the Premier League's greated attacking players.
Technically a right winger but often found drifting into central positions – something that is evidenced through Salah's rank among the top ranks among the top 1% of attacking midfielders and wingers across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for goals, the top 4% for assists and the top 1% for touches in the attacking box per 90, staggeringly effective but hardly clinging to the touchline.
The £350k-per-week machine has benefitted immensely from the supplementation of Alexander-Arnold, whose relentless rate of assists from (technically) defence has been staggering.
Season
Assists
League rank
22/23
9
7th
21/22
12
2nd
20/21
7
13th
19/20
13
2nd
18/19
12
3rd
*Assist charts sourced via premierleague.com
Alexander-Arnold has acknowledged Salah's "frightening" form in the past and will forever wax lyrical over the man who has provided his boyhood club with such devastating offensive distinction, and likewise, Salah will tip his hat to the England international's superlative creativity.
The 25-year-old ranks among the top 2% of full-backs across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists, the top 3% for shot-creating actions and the top 5% for progressive passes per 90, hailed for his "genius" ability by reporter Neil Jones.
Rensch would not bring the same kind of passing ability, rather, a crispness in his ability that does not rely so heavily on aerial, defence-splitting distribution, with Alexander-Arnold ranking among only the top 52% for pass completion.
But that doesn't matter, dynamism in Salah's partner down the right channel might be good for the Reds, opening up a new dimension to ensure that rotation keeps opponents guessing.
Therefore, Klopp must do all in his power to get his hands on Rensch, who is young enough to be nurtured to the German's mould but talented enough to make a marked impact right from the get-go.
