Jürgen Klopp's Borussia Dortmund team produced Robert Lewandowski, and the Liverpool manager might be poised to recruit a player who is very similar.
Things might not have turned out the way they did this summer if it hadn't been for Jürgen Klopp. Bayern Munich may not have needed to replace Sadio Mané if Klopp had not taken a chance on a lanky Polish striker from Lech Poznan and developed him into one of the finest attackers in the world.
But dwelling on the past is pointless, and Klopp will feel a feeling of satisfaction for his former protégé, who might be on the verge of a move to Barcelona in his later years.
Klopp turned Robert Lewandowski into a superstar at Dortmund, who blasted into the scene and scored a slew of goals in the process. The former Liverpool manager was the catalyst for Lewandowski's success, and the Polish striker has not forgotten about him.
Klopp turned Robert Lewandowski into a superstar at Dortmund, who blasted into the scene and scored a slew of goals in the process. The former Liverpool manager was the catalyst for Lewandowski's success, and the Polish striker has not forgotten about him.
"He taught me a great deal. When I first came in Dortmund, I wanted to get everything done quickly: a powerful pass with only one touch. Jürgen demonstrated how to relax and take two touches if required "Last year, Robert Lewandowski wrote in the Players Tribune, describing Liverpool coach Brendan Rodgers as a "father figure."
While Lewandowski is on his way to Barcelona, Klopp might follow in his footsteps this summer by signing Darwin Nez, a player with comparable qualities to Lewandowski.
With his long hair tucked behind a sleek hair band and youthful appearance, it's easy to draw similarities to Fernando Torres, Liverpool's most charming number nine of the twenty-first century. Darwin Nez's make-up, on the other hand, may be compared to one of Klopp's most famous creations, Lewandowski.
In the mould of Lewandowski, Nez is a typical number nine forwards with a lethal penchant for finishing opportunities and high volume shooting production. According to Wyscout, he averaged over 50% of his shots on target this season, much like the Pole.
Nez excels in finding pockets of space within the penalty area, posing a threat in the box. On average, he scored 0.14 headed goals, just 0.04 less than Lewandowski, although his 6.2 average touches in the box per 90 outnumbers even Lewandowski's 5.46.
His link-up play appears to be comparable to Lewandowski's as well. Nez has a similar xA rate (0.15) to Lewandowski's 0.12, and has a similar output for crucial passes (0.65) to Lewandowski's 0.53.
Klopp has never had a forwards like this at Liverpool, but based on his success with Lewandowski, it is certainly possible that he could help Nez mimic the Polish star's success at Anfield and usher in a new era at Anfield, one that might even see Klopp revert to his prefered 4-2-3-1 configuration.
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