With Arne Slot taking over as Liverpool’s new head coach from 1 June, it seems inevitable that the Reds will be linked with myriad Dutch players throughout the summer.
That process has already begun, with De Telegraaf reporting that LFC have Justin Bijlow on their transfer shortlist for the upcoming window.
The 26-year-old already knows Slot well, having played under him at Feyenoord throughout the 45-year-old’s entire reign at De Kuip, although the Merseysiders’ interest isn’t a knee-jerk reaction to the change of management.
Liverpool scouts have watched the goalkeeper several times this season when the Rotterdam side were in Champions League action ever before Jurgen Klopp announced that he’d be leaving.
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Amid uncertainty over Caoimhin Kelleher’s future and Adrian’s contract expiring next month (although there hasn’t been any announcement of him leaving, unlike with Thiago and Joel Matip), Liverpool could well be in the market for a goalkeeper this summer.
Bijlow could be a rock-solid alternative to Alisson Becker at Anfield, having conceded less than a goal a game for Feyenoord this season (23 in 24 matches) and kept a clean sheet in 37.5% of his appearances (9/24).
Throughout his entire career at De Kuip, his record stands at a very respectable concession tally of 151 goals in 143 games, with 54 shutouts achieved (37.8%).
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However, one potential red flag over the 26-year-old is his injury-prone nature, having had three separate layoffs over the past two years which caused him to miss 41 matches.
Also, as noted in The Athletic, Bijlow’s positioning has come in for criticism from regular viewers of Dutch football, although he makes up for that shortcoming with his comfort at playing out from the back and his propensity for show-stopping saves.
It remains to be seen how pressing Liverpool’s need is for a new goalkeeper this summer, depending on what happens with Kelleher and Adrian. Should either or both depart, we could definitely see Richard Hughes pushing to try and reunite the Feyenoord stopper with Slot over the next few months.
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