Teun Koopmeiners is a name that could ring a bell for some Liverpool fans.

The Dutch midfielder currently plys his trade for Atalanta and has been in stellar form this season.

Although Liverpool’s fans recent experience with the 26-year-old is a negative one due to their 3-0 defeat to Atalanta, the midfielder himself is a player Liverpool could set their sights on this summer.

As a summer of change is expected to occur at Anfield this summer, it’s likely that we will see many additions to the club’s playing staff.

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Especially since Jurgen Klopp will be departing the club come the end of the campaign.

In terms of who is set to take over, Arne Slot is the front-runner with his move to Merseyside seemingly all but confirmed.

There is a reported agreement between Liverpool and Feyenoord on a compensation package worth up to £9.4 million.

With Slot’s announcement now imminent, fans may feel somewhat reserved in regard to his appointment, however, looking at how the Dutch manager has performed in his managerial career thus far, it feels as if the 45-year-old is the ideal candidate for the role.

In fact, if you go back to Slot’s AZ Alkmaar days, you’ll see that he and Koopmeiners have previously worked together.

In fact, he was key in the midfielders development as he managed to take him to the next level whilst under his watch.

Why Liverpool and Arne Slot should consider buying Koopmeiners

Although the pair have prior history, Koopmeiners has been repeatedly linked with a move to Liverpool, even as recently as the January transfer window.

The 26-year-old can play all through the spine of a team with the midfielder playing the vast majority of the 2023/24 season in the attacking-midfield role.

This term has been his most prolific of Koopmeiners’ career.

The Netherlands international has played a total of 46 games this term and has managed to contribute to a total of 21 goals during that time.

Under Slot, he was often played in defensive-midfield, however, since representing Atalanta, Gian Piero Gasperini has slowly moved him further up the pitch.

This seems to have paid off for the Italian manager as Koopmeiners has arguably been the club’s most important player this season.

Indeed, Gianluca Scamacca is a close second, however, due to the overall impact he has on the team, the Dutchman just pips the West Ham player to the top spot.

As aforementioned, Koopmeiners has been the ‘cog’ for Atalanta across the 2023/24 term.

In fact, in the Serie A, he has averaged 1.5 shots, 1.7 key passes and 0.5 dribbles per game in.

He has even been accurate when distributing the ball in the final third after completing 80.8% of his attempted passes in the Italian top tier.

This not only shows how key the 26-year-old is to Atalanta, but also shows how much of an impact he could potentially have on the Reds’ squad if he were to join.

According to Football insiders, The Reds are expressing an interest in signing the midfielder, but they are not leading the way in regard to negotiations.

‘The Reds are in contract with the Dutch international’s agents over bringing him to Anfield this summer,” the online news portal claimed.

‘Juventus are currently leading the race to sign the 26-year-old, offering him the option to remain in Italy beyond this season.’

Could Teun Koopmeiners be Liverpool’s long-term Fabinho replacement?

As aforementioned, whilst under Slot, the Dutch midfielder predominantly played in defensive-midfield.

This is the role which he has played for the vast majority of his career, however, after his prolific 2023/24 term, he could look to play a more advanced role.

Koopmeiners’ versatility could be key for Liverpool as he would easily be able to cover any central midfield position.

However, his transfer wouldn’t come cheap as Atalanta’s rumoured asking price is in the region of £51m.

Fabinho was a key player during Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool era and Koopmeniers could finally be a long-term solution since his departure last term.

Granted, Wataru Endo has fulfilled the role well thus far, however, he is currently 31-years-old so may not be at the top of his game in a few seasons time.

Hence, why, another midfielder could be on the cards for The Reds in the summer.

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