When Liverpool decided to pull out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham, supporters were understandably concerned about who the Reds may target instead. Looking solely at the raw data, one of the England starlet's international teammates is among the standout candidates.
There is no doubt that this summer is one of significant change at Anfield, with the midfield area being a primary cause for concern. While Liverpool looked to have addressed that through the additions of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, the imminent departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia have forced the club to go back to the drawing board.
Of course, various factors will ultimately influence the decisions of Jürgen Klopp and his staff when it comes to identifying new targets, but data is always front and center in the recruitment process. It might therefore be informative to look at those who profile similarly to Bellingham — once the top target, he has since completed his move to Real Madrid, but someone in the same mold would be ideal to replace Henderson.
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Using the analysis of FBref, which examines the statistical data of players from across Europe's top five leagues, one name appears which may come as a surprise to some observers. Conor Gallagher of Chelsea ranks as a similar type of midfielder, with Bellingham second on his list of matches.
Perhaps it should not be a surprise, therefore, that he was linked with a switch to Anfield earlier this year (via the ECHO). Those links have since cooled, and the passing of Chelsea's June 30 Financial Fair Play deadline without Gallagher getting a transfer seemed to signal the end of it. But it appears he could still be on the move this summer.
Despite Gallagher and Enzo Fernández representing the only senior midfield options in Mauricio Pochettino's first-team camp, the Evening Standard reports that the Englishman 'could still leave' to make way for Moisés Caicedo. The new coach likes the look of young options including Andrey Santos, and the one-time Liverpool target may be allowed to depart.
![Conor Gallagher and Jude Bellingham of England run during a training session at St Georges Park on March 24, 2022 in Burton-upon-Trent, England.](https://i2-prod.liverpool.com/incoming/article27368468.ece/ALTERNATES/s615b/0_GallagherBellingham.jpg)
And while Liverpool may have distanced itself from this at first, the Henderson situation simply has to bring old targets back into consideration. Recruitment in the number eight role was done, but that is no longer the case, and Gallagher ticks a number of boxes.
Like Bellingham, he is particularly gifted when it comes to breaking up play and carrying the ball forward from deep, offering some real bite and pressing fervour in the number eight role. But that is coupled with some serious attacking output.
Both players rank well above average in wide-ranging metrics such as blocks, successful take-ons, touches in the opposition penalty area and non-penalty expected goals (xg) per 90 minutes. Liverpool cannot ignore someone who stands out so prominently in the data, especially when the player in question comes with much-needed homegrown status.
The prospect of signing the Chelsea academy product may not set the pulses running as much as more glamorous names but the case for signing Gallagher at a relatively cheap price is quite compelling. Liverpool would need to beat off competition from Tottenham and West Ham, but it may well be that Anfield could be the perfect place for him to develop if Klopp can take his game to the next level.
A version of this story was first published on April 19, 2023.