According to the latest transfer rumours, Liverpool are considering a mouth-watering bid for Hoffenheim defender Niklas Sule to make him their top target for January transfer window.
Jurgen Klopp’s men have enjoyed an impressive start of the season, despite struggling in last several matches. The Reds currently sit on the second position in Premier League table, only below Chelsea.
The 21-year-old Niklas Sule has also played in a back three in the German top flight this term, and is currently rated as one of the top young players in Bundesliga.
Sule, who stands at 6′ 5″ is already a full German international and looks ready to make the step up to a top European club.
A right-footed centre-back, Sule typically plays on the right side of Hoffenheim’s centre-back pairing, continuing his development after recovering from injury.
Sule is a strong defensive prospect, with his timing in the tackle and reading of the game allowing him to quell dangerous attacks efficiently, looking to step out of defence to nick the ball quickly and lay it off to a team-mate.
This all-round prowess highlights Sule as an outstanding talent in defence, able to operate both as a front-footed centre-back and a covering option.
Owing to his height, and his perceptive play, Sule has often been compared to Arsenal and Germany centre-back Per Mertesacker.
While this could be deemed a lazy comparison, Sule’s physical stature does lend him a similar flaw to Mertesacker in his lack of agility and pace; though he is far from the sluggish Gunners man.
Like Mertesacker, Sule works around this with his intelligence, and stands as one of the most talented young defenders in Europe.
The latest transfer reports from Eurosport claim that Liverpool are hopeful they can win the pursuit for his signature, though Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich are also interested and Liverpool have been linked with him in the past.
Alongside with Sule, Jurgen Klopp’s side are also chasing for the signature of other highly-rated defenders, including Virgil van Dijk from Southampton and Aaron Cresswell from West Ham United.