Everton could sign 10-goal free transfer who Jurgen Klopp wanted before Mohamed Salah

Everton is considering a potential free transfer for a Borussia Dortmund midfielder who Jurgen Klopp once preferred over bringing Mohamed Salah to Liverpool in 2017

Liverpool legend Jurgen Klopp.(Image: Caean Couto/Getty Images)

Julian Brandt was once the player that Jurgen Klopp favored for Liverpool over Mohamed Salah, but now he could be joining Everton on a free transfer.

Back in 2017, the then Reds manager told Anfield officials that he would rather bring in the Germany international from his homeland than gamble on a player who had previously struggled in the Premier League at Chelsea.

Speaking on the BBC documentary How to Win the Champions League last year, the club's former director of research, Ian Graham, said: "Jurgen's preferred option for that summer was Julian Brandt, who was a great player. Jurgen had obviously known him very well, coming from the Bundesliga, and knew the German market very well.

"We agreed that Brandt was a very good young player but not a standout in the same way that Mo was. From our data analysis point of view, Mo was the best young wide forward in Europe, full stop.

"Roma were under pressure to sell because their finances were not in a good place, so we knew he was available for a good price. He played a forward and wide role that we needed to fill at the time, whereas Brandt was more of an attacking midfielder.

"It's to Jurgen's credit that he engaged in that debate in an honest way with his eyes open to say: 'OK, I'm open to be convinced, show me that Mo is better.'"

A tally of 254 goals in 433 appearances — including 44 in his debut campaign — have undoubtedly justified that decision regarding the Egyptian, but could Brandt now be heading to Merseyside after all?

Julian Brandt is leaving Borussia Dortmund this summer

Earlier this month it was announced that Brandt — who celebrates his 30th birthday on 2 May — will be departing Borussia Dortmund when his contract runs out this summer.

After a 2-1 victory at Cologne where Brandt had provided the assist for Maximilian Beier's goal, the club's managing director Lars Ricken said: "There have already been a few reports, and it's simply that there were open talks and everyone agreed that the expiring contract wouldn't be extended.

"He played a few hundred games for Borussia Dortmund (298 to date with 56 goals). I think we can only be grateful to him for playing with us for seven years. He was sometimes criticised, but even today with his assist, I loved his style."

In response to this development, Football Insider claims that Everton remain interested in Brandt and, having been strongly linked with him earlier in the campaign, sources have informed them that the Toffees have him back on their shortlist.

So what kind of player is Brandt? It's already been suggested that he's more of a versatile attacking midfielder rather than being an out-and-out winger. Throughout his club career, Transfermarkt records show he has featured in 229 matches as a central attacking midfielder, 162 on the left wing, 95 on the right wing, 44 in central midfield, eight as a second striker and five as a center-forward.

Brandt has maintained his goalscoring touch and has reached double figures this season for the third occasion in the past four campaigns. His six Bundesliga goals give him an average of 0.27 goals per match, which would rank him eighth in the Premier League, also surpassing his expected goals (xG) of 0.2, which would position him at 13th.

His 1.13 shots per 90 minutes would see him ranked only 20th in the Premier League in a metric where Manchester United's Matheus Cunha leads the way, averaging 3.5 per match, though he'd be positioned ninth for shots on target (0.9) in a category also topped by Cunha on 1.5. His 0.47 successful dribbles per 90 minutes would only place him 23rd behind Tottenham's Xavi Simons, who leads on 2.33, but it does edge ahead of Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall's 0.33.

David Moyes has openly expressed his admiration for German football and had contemplated a spell managing in the Bundesliga before accepting his role with Real Sociedad in Spain. However, he may require greater intensity and work rate than what the Bremen-born player might deliver upon entering the Premier League at a comparatively late stage of his career.