8 goals in 15 games
©TM/IMAGO
Liverpool may be in the thick of a fascinating Premier League title race, but it seems as though the Anfield club are already making plans for next season. According to journalist Florian Plettenberg, the English giants have set their sights on young striker Stefanos Tzimas, with the intention of signing him in the summer transfer window. The 19-year-old goalscorer is currently on loan at German second-tier side Nuremberg from Greek side PAOK, but will complete a permanent move to the club this year due to a €18 million buy option in the deal.
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According to Plettenberg, Liverpool have already contacted their German counterparts with the hope of agreeing a deal to sign Tzimas, once his move to Nuremberg has been finalised. Contrary to said report, James Pearce at the Athletic later reported that the Anfield club were not interested in signing the young striker, while Brighton have also been linked with a move for the Nuremberg player. Shoudl a deal be agreed this month, it would mean the player would technically move to the German club at the end of the season, before swiftly moving on to England. But who exactly is Tzimas and why are both Nuremberg, Liverpool and perhaps even Brighton so determined to sign the young talent as quickly as possible?
Who is Stefanos Tzimas?
After making his debut for PAOK at an extremely young age, Tzimas took to senior football in Greece with relative ease and bagged an impressive four goals and one assist in just 438 minutes of football for the first team. The 2.Bundesliga side then picked him up last summer on the aforementioned loan deal, which initially raised some eyebrows considering the relatively large transfer fee that Nuremberg were expected to pay at the end of the season. But after picking up eight goals and two assists in 15 appearances for the club in the first half of the season, it’s clear to see why the German side had no concerns with paying €18m for his talents and why Liverpool are now desperate to sign him. “Tzimas has done exceptionally well in the 2.Bundesliga,” said Tobias Kröger, Transfermarkt’s market value admin for the Bundesliga. “He surprised a lot of fans as nobody really knew what to expect but he has been really outstanding for a struggling Nuremberg Team. There were early reports about interested teams earlier in the season and you can see why, because he adapted really fast to the league and showed his potential continuously.”
So far this season Tzimas has played up front as a traditional No.9, but he has been known to play off the left wing at youth level at PAOK or for the youth teams of the Greece national team. And for Kröger there is one Bundesliga star in particular that the young Liverpool transfer target reminds him of. “He reminds me a lot of Benjamin Sesko,” noted the German football expert. “He has a really interesting all around package for a striker: He’s good in the air but also quick for his height. He is good at making runs into open spaces but is also clinical in one-vs-one situations with the keeper. His link-up play is also very good. His technique is also very good but not elite.”
How good is Stefanos Tzimas?
Of course, scoring goals in Greece or indeed the German second tier is one thing, but making a move to Anfield and fighting for a starting role in the Liverpool team is another thing entirely. So what could Liverpool fans expect of the young striker next season and does he really have the potential to be the leading man for the Premier League club in the future? “I think he has a lot of potential and could be a top striker in the future but I also think that he really needs more experience at a higher level,” warned Kröger when asked about a move to Liverpool next season. “A big step up to a top club would be too early I guess. If he can adapt his game to a higher level in the next two or three years he could develop into a very good striker.” As such, it seems more than likely that should Tzimas make the move to Liverpool this summer, a loan agreement to send him to another club next season will be more than likely. But then, perhaps after two or three years honing his craft in the Bundesliga, Ligue 1 or LaLiga, Tzimas may finally be of age to star for Liverpool and become their next top striker.
