After losing Jordan Henderson, Liverpool now not only needs a replacement for him but also needs to look for a captain who would lead them from the next season.
In more ways than one, the last 10 days of Liverpool’s pre-season schedule have significantly altered their preparations for the forthcoming campaign.
The Reds are embarking on a week-and-a-half-long stay in Germany for their pre-season campaign. Although they still have Fabinho and skipper Henderson in their ranks, it is highly likely that they would be completing their respective moves to Saudi later this week.
The Saudi Pro League has been the busiest in the market by signing players left, right, and center. The Saudi clubs have been poaching players irrespective of their age and form.
Moreover, they have been successful in doing so as well by offering a huge paycheque, the ones the players could only dream of.
However, their pursuit of getting elite players hasn’t stopped yet as they are trying to swoop in huge bucks for the most talked-about player on the planet currently, Kylian Mbappe.
Now, however, after a major bump in their proceedings, the Reds need to sort out a lot of things before the start of a new season.
Liverpool needs to decide their new captain, and sign more midfielders within the next few days
With Liverpool losing their captain Jordan Henderson to Al-Ettifaq, Klopp needs to name a new captain for the club.
Hendo’s £12m deal is said to be agreed by both the clubs involved and he would be exiting after 12 years at the helm.
“As long as things are not really finally decided, we don’t have to talk about it. There will be a moment where we probably have to talk about it, but it’s not now.
In the end, all of these decisions are made by me. And because I respect the players a lot, it’s usually (with their) consent. It was in this case, and it is all fine.”
Klopp said after their first pre-season game
But fast forward five days, the skipper has reportedly completed his medicals in Manchester on Friday. Now, the Reds are also waiting on Fabinho’s imminent exit to the Gulf state.
Now it means that the Reds are without a club captain and need to appoint one soon. While it would have seemed that the Merseysiders midfield rebuild was done after the signings of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai.
But the Reds may now need to dig deep into their pockets to sign another midfielder or two.
They are looking at various options like Palace’s Cheick Doucoure, and Southampton’s Romeo Lavia among a few others.
“Still three-and-a-half weeks until the first game of the season. a few things have to happen before then, definitely, transfer market-wise as well.
That is clear now. And it will happen. New players have to come in. We will have a good team.”
Klopp said
Who could be the next captain?
While there is an eye on whom Liverpool must sign before the start of next season, there is also an eye on who should be the next captain.
There are a few candidates considered to succeed Henderson for captaincy. Trent could be one to be considered for the role. He also continued where he left off at the end of last season, in his first pre-season game.
He filled in the midfield role in the absence of Henderson.
However, Van Dijk could be an obvious choice as he was the third captain after Milner and Henderson. Hence, he could be a leading candidate to take up the captaincy role.
I’m a football enthusiast and an avid writer and someone who lives by the Bill Shankly quote, on a day to day basis.
