Liverpool has been informed that they will be required to pay the full £100 million release clause of Bruno Guimaraes, even though the midfield player may be eligible for a discount to a limited number of clubs.
The Brazilian will be permitted to leave St. James’ Park in the summer for a reduced price, according to the always-dependable Jacque Talbot, should offers specifically come from Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Jurgen Klopp’s Reds, Chelsea and PSG, however, will have to cough up every euro should they choose to try and win the player’s signature.
Is Guimaraes worth Liverpool £100 million?
To begin answering this topic, let’s quickly review the qualities we should be looking for in a long-term No. 6 player: someone who is strong both on and off the ball, has the ability to advance play, and is proficient on half-turns.
Sort of, I guess.
According to FBref, Guimaraes’ statistical profile is eight times more similar to that of Alexis Mac Allister.
The Newcastle player can take on a man when needed (92nd percentile), plays a higher degree of progressive passes (89th percentile), is just as creative as his Liverpool counterpart (85th percentile for shot-creating actions), and has lost fewer challenges per 90 (1.24) this season than our Argentine playmaker (2.13).
But for a team that believes in possession-based football, a fairly subpar pass completion rate (59th percentile compared to Macca’s 70th percentile ranking) would undoubtedly be concerning.
That may be too harsh on the 26-year-old, but we’re not sure if he can really make a £100 million difference to our World Cup-winning star.
