- Just released by Liverpool, freshly crowned champion of England, Pedro Chirivella must take his first steps at the Jonelière this week.
- This 23-year-old Spanish midfielder, who landed at the age of 16 with the Reds, never managed to win in the Premier League.
- Will he manage to find a place in Ligue 1 in his position as a relay midfielder?
He can always be proud to have left Liverpool on a title of champion of England. Pedro Chirivella must finally settle down in Nantes this week. His official presentation to the media is even scheduled for Thursday probably at the Beaujoire stadium. This 23-year-old relay runner from Spain joined FC Nantes free after spending seven years - interspersed with two loans - with the Reds. "He would never have played," said Alessandro, who manages the @ RedsFrance account on Twitter with two other people. It was time for him to leave. "
In Liverpool, given the competition in the middle (Fabinho, Keita, Henderson etc.), his future seems blocked for a very long time. Perhaps this is why his agent, the Spaniard Rodri Baster, has been trying to put his foal back in Spain for several years. Two years ago, Gerard Lopez, then coach of the Barcelona reserve team, had been asked by the player's manager. “I had watched videos of him, says today the former midfielder of Monaco and Barcelona among others, always looking for a bench. He is a box to box player. He likes to play in front of the defense, but he is also attracted by the game forwards. Lopez did not follow up on the time, believing that he had what was needed in his reserve force for this position.
A player who does not make a difference with the ball alone
In Liverpool, Chirivella will only hold the league one time. During the 2015-2016 season against Swansea. In the end, the Spaniard will play a dozen Cup matches with the pros, but more often matches with the U 23. He will also be loaned twice in the Netherlands with a full season with Willem II in 2017- 2018. "He had played almost every game, he was an undisputed holder," recalls Karim Coulibaly, former partner of Chirivella at Willem II. He has a good vision of the game, he is quite technical and very enduring. "
A French agent, who has seen him a lot in recent years, is less complimentary: “He is a cold player. He's having a hard time changing pace. Spanish international and small nugget of the Valencia training center, Chirivella has still not confirmed the great hopes placed in him. "He never really took off and never managed to get to the professional level", continues this manager. "He does not eliminate the ball, but on a pass, defends Coulibaly. He plays simple, for others. "Statements that echo those of his coach Neil Critchley at the U23 Liverpool:" Pedro has a game intelligence that he transmits to his teammates, he always thinks of the team and not him! "
Associated with Louza in the middle?
Will it be enough to win in Ligue 1? "I don't know how he will adapt in a more physical championship than that of Holland for example", wonders Coulibaly, who remembers Chirivella who most often played axial from the middle in a 5-3-2 . Gerard Lopez expresses some “doubts” on the capacity of his compatriot to play in L1, a championship “physically strong”, but counts on the “intelligence of play of the player” to compensate. "Me, I see him winning," says Alessandro. He has the technical side of his training from Valencia and he learned physically from his time in England. He is very focused on recovery, much more than on the offensive. Its real strong point is the dry cleaning. He never lets go. "
And with his 1.78 m and his 66 kg wet, can he be associated with the middle before the defense in the unchanging 4-4-2 from Christian Gourcuff to Imran Louza, another player of the same format? "It can be quite a tandem," concludes Gerard Lopez.
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Mercato FC Nantes: Liverpool midfielder Pedro Chirivella must sign to FCN
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