Are Liverpool targeting the wrong Feyenoord midfielder?
Cameron Smith
- 8 Oct 2023 21:30 BST
- 4 min read
Liverpool are one of several elite Premier League clubs interested in signing Feyenoord midfielder Quinten Timber as he continues to impress at Feyenoord.
The Reds have sent scouts to watch the Dutchman in recent weeks, but they aren’t the only team keen on landing the 22-year-old, according to 90min.
90min have reported that Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur have all scouted Timber and have been impressed by what they have seen.
READ MORE: The BIG problem with Liverpool's midfield recruitment
Furthermore, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Monaco and Napoli have also been tracking his form in the Eredivisie.
However, Timber is a luxury that Liverpool don’t need. While the Dutchman is evidently a prodigious talent - as seen by the calibre of clubs chasing him - he doesn’t fix the core issue in Jurgen Klopp’s midfield.
The Reds have enjoyed a midfield revamp this summer, with five stars departing and four new faces arriving in that area of the pitch.
READ MORE: Chelsea & Man City among clubs interested in Schalke wonderkid
However, Wataru Endo was the only natural defensive midfielder to join Liverpool during the most recent transfer window, and he has only started one Premier League game so far this campaign.
Instead, Klopp has used Alexis Mac Allister in a deep midfield role, and that decision has not extracted the performances that were expected of the Argentine when he arrived from Brighton & Hove Albion.
With Endo seemingly out of favour, Liverpool need a defensive midfielder to become Fabinho’s heir and Mac Allister isn’t that man - due to his weakness defending large spaces and his ability closer to goal.
As a result, pushing to sign Timber makes little sense. According to FootballTransfers’ data analytics partner SciSports, Timber’s role on the pitch for Feyenoord this season - as per his statistics - is that of a box-to-box midfielder.
Liverpool don’t need that profile due to the presence of Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Harvey Elliott, Ryan Gravenberch and Curtis Jones, so pursuing Timber seems rather odd.
Instead, the Reds should be chasing one of his current Feyenoord team-mates.
Who should Liverpool sign?
According to SciSports’ data, Mats Wieffer profiles most as a ‘deep lying playmaker’ and is a far more active defender than Timber too.
So far this season, Wieffer has outperformed Timber in every defensive metric and in most passing metrics too. Furthermore, Wieffer has operated from a more reserved role - as seen by his 1.55 passes in/around the box, compared to Timber’s 3.68.
Liverpool are currently targeting Timber, but a move for Wieffer perhaps makes more sense given the fact they need an active defensive midfielder and a reliable passer from deep. Wieffer is that player rolled into one and his development over the past six months has been stark.
Mats Wieffer vs Quinten Timber - Eredivisie stats 23-24 so far
| Mats Wieffer | Quinten Timber | |
|---|---|---|
| Minutes | 640 | 587 |
| Goals | 2 | 1 |
| Assists | 0 | 3 |
| Passes P90 | 63.0 | 36.5 |
| Carries P90 | 5.1 | 4.1 |
| Recoveries P90 | 8.7 | 5.1 |
| Tackles P90 | 2.3 | 1.1 |
| Interceptions P90 | 3.7 | 1.1 |
In fact, Wieffer’s SciSkill level has increased by 10.4 over the past half-a-year, which is enough to be determined as ‘rapid development’ by SciSports.
Timber is a very promising midfielder, but Wieffer fits the profile that Liverpool need far more.
