Liverpool got the 2024/25 campaign off to a perfect start, with two wins from their first two games. New manager Arne Slot oversaw back-to-back 2-0 victories in his first two competitive games as manager, beating Ipswich Town away from home and Brentford at Anfield.
It has been a great start to life at the helm of one of England’s biggest clubs for the Dutchman, with his third fixture in charge a tough visit to Old Trafford to face Manchester United. However, they may well have one or two signings in the door by that point, having been linked to an enterprising attacker before Friday’s deadline.
Liverpool target Bundesliga attacker
The player in question here is Bayern Munich and France international winger Kingsley Coman. According to a report from Graeme Bailey, the Reds are one of the clubs ‘who have been offered’ the chance to sign the 28-year-old, with the door seemingly open to making a move for the experienced star.
However, they are not alone in the race for his signature, with the Frenchman having been reportedly offered to many major clubs across Europe. At this stage, a move to Saudi Arabia could also be on the cards for Coman, who seems destined to leave the Allianz Arena this summer.
Why Coman would be a good signing
Last season for the Bavarian club, Coman missed much of the season due to an injury. He only featured in 27 games in all competitions, scoring five times and registering three assists. That was a record which included three goals and three assists in 17 German top-flight games.
However, his talent is there for all to see. The PSG academy graduate has played 296 times for Bayern, scored 64 goals, including the strike which won the Champions League in 2020, and notched up 66 assists. That, however, seems like a chapter of his career that could be coming to an end, given his likely departure.
The Frenchman is also a versatile player, capable of playing on either wing to an equally impressive level. Last term for the Bavarians, he played 14 games on the right wing and 13 on the left wing, registering four goal involvements on each side.
He could be an even better incoming than Federico Chiesa, who has all but signed on the dotted line at Anfield. He will join the Reds on a four-year contract for a fee of around £10.9m, as confirmed by Fabrizio Romano.
Coman, who was once described as “formidable” by his coach for France's under-17s, Patrick Gonfalone, certainly ranks higher than Chiesa in many stats on FBref. One of the areas in which he is statistically better than the Italian is dribbling numbers.
Per 90 minutes, the former PSG man averages 6.05 progressive carries and completes an average of 2.34 take-ons. In comparison, the 25-year-old Italy winger averages just 4.55 progressive carries and on average each game completes just 1.43 dribbles.
Stat (per 90)
Coman
Chiesa
Progressive carries
6.05
4.55
Carries into the final third
2.82
2.30
Carries into the penalty box
2.82
2.38
Take-ons completed
2.34
1.43
Take-on success rate
43.3%
36.8%
It is not only his dribbling stats in which Coman ranks higher than his Italian counterpart. He also averaged slightly more key passes, with 2.34 to Chiesa’s 2.21, and plays more progressive passes each game, with 5.81 compared to the Juve number seven’s 2.87.
A pass is considered progressive if the distance between the starting point and the next touch is at least 10 meters closer to the opponent's goal or any completed pass into the penalty area.
Should Liverpool get a deal over the line for the Bayern Munich attacker, it could be a shrewd bit of business. He is a superb one-vs-one dribbler, who is a serial winner and someone renowned for winning league titles.
If Coman does make the move from the Allianz Arena to Anfield this summer, he could prove to be an even better acquisition than Chiesa and a real fan favourite with Reds fans.
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