Jurgen Klopp is clearly a fan of Sander Berge.

The Liverpool manager was quick to praise the 21-year-old midfielder following his team's game against Genk at Anfield in the Champions League earlier this season - albeit something that was confirmed by the player rather than the boss himself - and the Belgian outfit's sporting director has also said that Liverpool are monitoring him (Radio Punto Nuovo via Goal.com).

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With Fabinho out injured until the New Year, there may have been some worries that they would need a new back-up defensive midfielder for the rest of the campaign, and the Norway international's display on Merseyside made him a prime candidate. Now, though, it appears that the Reds could miss out on his signature, as Bleacher Report are reporting that West Ham are leading the race for his signature. Berge trained with the Hammers as a 17-year-old, and there is a feeling at the club that a deal could be done for less than £20m.

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On the face of it, it may seem to be a bitter blow for Liverpool to miss out on a player that could have boosted their squad, especially to a team that is already 30 points behind them in the table. However, recent performances from some players in particular mean that this update could be a blessing in disguise.

Since the Brazil international picked up that injury against Napoli, Jordan Henderson has stepped into the breach on the most occasions. Playing at the centre of a midfield three, the 29-year-old captain has filled the void left by Fabinho fantastically. Against Bournemouth and RB Salzburg, the Reds kept clean sheets, and the former Sunderland man excelled, picking up WhoScored ratings of 8.32 and 7.3 respectively.

Fabinho's absence also led to Klopp trying out a new 4-2-3-1 formation, which we saw against both Everton and Watford. Both of those games ended in victories for the Reds, with the latter providing another clean sheet.

The 28-year-old's time on the sidelines has coincided with the resurgence of Naby Keita as well. In the two games he has started since then, the former RB Leipzig man has scored twice and assisted once, giving Liverpool an extra attacking edge from the middle of the park.

All of this is not to say that Berge is not a good player. Were he to move to the London Stadium, he could easily do well under Manuel Pellegrini. However, the performances of the players already at Anfield show that he is not required on Merseyside. This update may just be a blessing in disguise.

In other news, Liverpool are leading the race to sign this 19-year-old.