It was revealed on Thursday that Liverpool have agreed a deal to sign exciting Scotland star Calvin Ramsay.
The Reds will pay Aberdeen a fixed fee of just over £4m for his services, with a further £1.5m agreed in appearance-related bonus payments. The 18-year-old caught the attention of many top clubs after a standout campaign in which he made 33 appearances and scooped the Scottish Football Writers’ Young Player of the Year.
Jurgen Klopp is thought to have been impressed by the defender's displays this season and has already indicated that the youngster will join the first team squad for pre-season, most likely deputising for Trent Alexander-Arnold.
In terms of a profile, there are notable similarities between the two which would have contributed to Ramsay’s appeal from a Liverpool point of view, the first of which is the youngster's creative threat.
Last season he registered six assists and scored one goal. He also had the highest Expected Assist (xA) average for any player across the whole Aberdeen squad (0.2 per 90). Alexander-Arnold also topped this metric at Liverpool last season.
Both players benefit from taking set-pieces, though the fact Ramsay was trusted with the same so early into his career does really capture how threatening his deliveries are.
Although he’s dangerous swinging balls into the box, it won’t be a surprise to point out that he’s not yet at Alexander-Arnold’s level - few players in world football are. However, what he does boast over the England international is strong ball carrying abilities.
In this department, he arguably better resembles his compatriot on the other side of Liverpool’s defence, Andrew Robertson. He’s fast and determined with unrelenting stamina. Maurading up and down the right flank last season, he finished the campaign with only five right backs across the Scottish Premiership having made more progressive runs per 90 (2.47).
As a team that dominates the ball in most matches, it is predominantly Ramsay’s attacking traits, as opposed to defensive ones, that would have appealed most to the Reds. His success rate in terms of defensive duels (50.41 per cent) was pretty middle of the road in his position in Scotland last season.
However it’s important to keep in mind he’s still just 18 and developing both physically and mentally. Expect him to grow in this area in the coming seasons by working and learning from Klopp and his staff.
Ramsay’s arrival will bring some much-needed cover to Liverpool’s right-back department next season. As it stands, there’s only James Milner and Neco Williams who can provide such.
The former is ageing and arguably better suited to a role in midfield, while the latter is expected to leave on the back of a solid loan at Fulham, potentially allowing Liverpool to recoup some funds and balance the books after a busy start to the summer.
There’s a decent case to be made that Ramsay is a better option than both, and the fact Liverpool have landed him for such a low fee does point to this being another shrewd piece of business for the Reds.
