Transfer Watch: Could Cook sufficiently replace Can at Liverpool?

As Emre Can’s time at Liverpool draws to a close, the Reds know they need to invest in a new midfielder to ease the blow that’ll come with the German’s impending Anfield exit. Can’s contract expires in the summer and talks are at an impasse between player and club as Liverpool strive to tie the 24-year-old down to a new deal. 

However, with Juventus a likely destination, Liverpool are aware they need to bring in a new midfielder to ease his departure and it’s seen the club linked with a move for Bournemouth’s Lewis Cook. The youngster initially struggled to make an impact on the south coast following his arrival from Leeds, but has gone some way to establishing himself as a first team regular under Eddie Howe this term, making 16 league starts. 

The 21-year-old is competing for a starting spot with Andrew Surman, Dan Gosling and Harry Arter at the Vitality Stadium, but it’s a battle he appears to be winning. Having excelled with Leeds, Cook took his time to transition to the rigours of Premier League football, yet he is proving just why he was so highly thought of at Elland Road. 

Links with a move to Liverpool further signify his rise to prominence and for a rumoured fee of £20m, it could prove a shrewd investment for the Merseyside outfit. A return of 2.8 tackles per 90 ranks among the top 20 Premier League players to make 20 or more appearances this season and falls just short of Can’s return of 2.9 tackles per 90. 

1.5 interceptions per 90 is also a respectable return and in fact trumps Can (1.2) with both players carrying out the nitty gritty tasks of easing pressure on their respective defences. Of course, when they do with the ball, Can is a more accomplished midfielder compared to Cook, with the current Liverpool man mustering an 85.7% pass success rate from an average of 64.9 passes per 90. 

By comparison, Cook has returned a 79.1% pass success rate from 48 passes per 90 in the Premier League this season, though that is perhaps down to Liverpool (56.6%) averaging more possession than Bournemouth (48.4%) in England’s top tier. It would be a huge change in demand for Cook, but in an inconsistent Bournemouth side, he is impressing. 

The natural move for his development would be to a side challenging for top honours and in a progressive Liverpool team, Cook may well take his game to the next level. He’d need time to adjust to his new surroundings, but has the capability to sufficiently replace Can should he, as expected, leave Liverpool at the end of the season.