Everton could sign 10-goal free transfer who Jurgen Klopp wanted before Mohamed Salah
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Everton is considering a potential free transfer for a Borussia Dortmund midfielder who Jurgen Klopp once preferred over bringing Mohamed Salah to Liverpool in 2017Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp.(Image: Caean Couto/Getty Images)Julian Brandt was once the player that Jurgen Klopp favored for Liverpool over Mohamed Salah, but now he could be joining Everton on a free transfer.Back in 2017, the then Reds manager told Anfield officials that he would rather bring in the Germany international from his homeland than gamble on a player who had previously struggled in the Premier League at Chelsea.Speaking on the BBC documentary How to Win the Champions League last year, the club's former director of research, Ian Graham, said: "Jurgen's preferred option for that summer was Julian Brandt, who was a great player. Jurgen had obviously known him very well, coming from the Bundesliga, and knew the German market very well.READ MORE: Arne Slot has another requirement this season that's just as important as securing Champions LeagueREAD MORE: Alexander Isak decision expected as Arne Slot sends request for Liverpool star's return"We agreed that Brandt was a very good young player but not a standout in the same way that Mo was.
He played a forward and wide role that we needed to fill at the time, whereas Brandt was more of an attacking midfielder."It's to Jurgen's credit that he engaged in that debate in an honest way with his eyes open to say: 'OK, I'm open to be convinced, show me that Mo is better.'"A tally of 254 goals in 433 appearances — including 44 in his debut campaign — have undoubtedly justified that decision regarding the Egyptian, but could Brandt now be heading to Merseyside after all?Julian Brandt is leaving Borussia Dortmund this summerEarlier this month it was announced that Brandt — who celebrates his 30th birthday on 2 May — will be departing Borussia Dortmund when his contract runs out this summer.After a 2-1 victory at Cologne where Brandt had provided the assist for Maximilian Beier's goal, the club's managing director Lars Ricken said: "There have already been a few reports, and it's simply that there were open talks and everyone agreed that the expiring contract wouldn't be extended."He played a few hundred games for Borussia Dortmund (298 to date with 56 goals). He was sometimes criticised, but even today with his assist, I loved his style."In response to this development, Football Insider claims that Everton remain interested in Brandt and, having been strongly linked with him earlier in the campaign, sources have informed them that the Toffees have him back on their shortlist.So what kind of player is Brandt?
His six Bundesliga goals give him an average of 0.27 goals per match, which would rank him eighth in the Premier League, also surpassing his expected goals (xG) of 0.2, which would position him at 13th.His 1.13 shots per 90 minutes would see him ranked only 20th in the Premier League in a metric where Manchester United's Matheus Cunha leads the way, averaging 3.5 per match, though he'd be positioned ninth for shots on target (0.9) in a category also topped by Cunha on 1.5. His 0.47 successful dribbles per 90 minutes would only place him 23rd behind Tottenham's Xavi Simons, who leads on 2.33, but it does edge ahead of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 0.33.David Moyes has openly expressed his admiration for German football and had contemplated a spell managing in the Bundesliga before accepting his role with Real Sociedad in Spain.