Why Liverpool Signing Kevin De Bruyne Would Make (Some) Sense

Plus other transfer thoughts, before Liverpool face quadruple-winners Arsenal

What started out with me thinking “100% no way” soon led to me listing “reasons why it might work”.

While it instinctively feels highly improbable, and more likely just clickbait rumours or agents looking to project more interest in their player, Kevin De Bruyne is a free agent and a boyhood Liverpool fan, albeit he may now see himself as a City man; but equally, he’s not happy he’s being let go, and there’s talk of him wanting to stay where he’s settled, and stay playing at the highest level.

He’s now close friends with Virgil van Dijk, who has said he’d love to play with KdB. This could of course just be the usual platitudes, from one Premier League great to another, and not a case of friends tempting friends. (Just as Trent and Jude ... oh, wait.)

Liverpool are losing an elite-passing right-sided “non-athlete” on a free, and will replace him in the XI with a guy who is five years younger, faster and fitter (Conor Bradley), but who is more of a runner with and without the ball than a passer.

De Bruyne is an elite-passing ageing ex-athlete (who also has three initials!) And he still does some defensive work.

Liverpool have had four older players in the XI, but one is the keeper, which counts less; while Andy Robertson, 31, will likely be upgraded upon, and could become a mere backup.

Were the Reds to add Milos Kerkez (21), to replace Robertson, or Jorrel Hato (19), then that’s more youth, allied to Bradley (21, nearly 22).

Old players can be great; see van Dijk and Salah. What you don’t want is an old team, yet this is a team that could probably find room for an older playmaker.

My choice for a centre-forward would be Hugo Ekitiké, 22, who is fast, skilful, tall and just seems a really rounded player, but Benjamin Šeško (21) is also extremely good. There are a few exciting options out there.

These seem higher priority, but it’s only March since Liverpool knew Alexander-Arnold was definitely leaving, and there may be a desire to replace his progressive passing, unless the club seeks another way (and someone like Alexis Mac Allister could drop deeper and to the right, to play those balls, while van Dijk himself does so more centrally).

And there’s also the option of the explosive Ben Doak, 19, on the right, if he’s retained, presumably as an impact sub. There are ways to get energy into the team all over the pitch.

I’m assuming that Stefan Bajčetić, 20, who is fit again and is statistically the best defensive midfielder in Spain this season, will return and play an important role in the squad, and could replace Wataru Endō (albeit the latter is great guy to have around).

So, currently the Reds have a lot of players aged 20-26 (a couple aged 28), who can all continue to improve; and then just two in their 30s (plus the keeper).

Bar Endō (who never starts), the midfield is young; unlike Man City’s, where İlkay Gündoğan is 34, Mateo Kovačić is 31, Bernardo Silva is 30, and Rodri will turn 29 soon, while John Stones who sometimes plays in midfield turns 31 soon.

You could see where De Bruyne, nearing 34, might be deemed an issue there, as City need to rebuild and find new energy, whereas Liverpool started the process in 2023. Liverpool now have legs.

Liverpool are transitioning to youth or younger players all over, with Giorgi Mamardashvili, 24, arriving as backup to Alisson, but could maybe replace him in a year. There’s also talk of Dean Huijsen, 20, as a new centre-back, but the issue is that his agent is Mr Chelsea.

As such, an older model-pro free-agent with some injury issues that a confessed fan (in Arne Slot) may be able to help mitigate against, via his staff’s proven methods, could make sense. Again, I’m thinking more about if it were true, rather than saying I expect it to happen.

FSG are also not automatically averse to older players, if the deal makes sense, and if a player is not beyond hope, but still has something unique to offer. They just won’t offer long contracts or pay transfer fees.

Does De Bruyne still do something fairly unique in football? The powerful running may have waned, but the passing is still elite, and his creative data overall is still off the charts. And that’s in a City side that haven’t been anywhere near as good as Liverpool this season.

So you could mitigate for De Bruyne’s age with an overall freshening up of the team, but then churn might be a concern (albeit Bradley replacing TAA will not be a case of churn as he’s already settled).

Another issue would be that Mo Salah is already ageing (albeit gracefully) on the right side of the pitch, and has become a creative genius; yet De Bruyne plays a bit deeper, or as the no.10. The issue then is that you’d lose Dominik Szoboszlai’s vital über-pressing (albeit you’d be gaining energy and pace in both full-back roles), but you’d still have the option of Szoboszlai.

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Also, new book out now!