Liverpool are a club out on a mission in this summer transfer window to rebuild their squad as the new season is around the corner.
The Reds had a great start to this summer’s transfer window as they went all in with the intention of a midfield revamp.
The club showed their determination as they signed Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig for a combined fee of £95M.
Although the club saw veterans like Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Naby Keita leave Anfield earlier this summer. Still, this freed up some wages that helped the Anfield giants secure the midfield duo.
It looked like FSG’s newly appointed German Sports Director Jorg Schmadtke had a clear plan and things started off pretty well.
But everything started going downhill as an ex-Liverpool player and Anfield legend Steven Gerrard joined Saudi club Al-Ettifaq as manager.
Soon the Merseysiders faced shortcomings as the club received a transfer bid for skipper Jordan Henderson from Gerrard’s side.
And with that, his midfield partner Fabinho also attracted interest from another Saudi club Al-Ittihad. Both experienced midfielders left Liverpool eventually as the club received £52M for the pair.
There were also some chatter about Thiago seeking a move out with one-year remaining on his contract. But he will finish his tenure at the club and leave next summer for free.
What should be the next move for Liverpool in this transfer window?
In this situation, Liverpool have a dire need of signing new midfielders to fill out the gap in the middle of the park. The club has been linked with almost every midfielder in Europe this summer.
Declan Rice joined Arsenal for £105M and the fans are fuming as the Reds are still not signing any other midfielders.
The most prominent target for the Anfield side has been Romeo Lavia. The Merseysiders will soon submit their third and final bid to Southampton to match their asking price of £50M after the first two bids got rejected.
His addition would help Liverpool sort out the defensive-midfield position. But the club still lacks a few bodies in the midfield.
And the name of Fluminese midfielder Andre Trindade has surfaced up as potential Reds target. However, the Brazilian Serie-A is still halfway through so Fluminese might not sell the 22-year-old.
Ryan Gravenberch‘s name has also been in the mix as Bayern Munich have not been able to integrate him in the team. So he wants a move out but the Merseysiders have not made any progress regarding him.
Leicester star Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has also been linked with Liverpool as the club sees him as a potential candidate for the midfield job. But nothing has been quite vivid whether he will join the club or not.
Defensive options for Klopp
But there is still another concern which is centre-back position. As Klopp has shifted to back-3 formation, moving Trent Alexander-Arnold up in the pitch as a pivot, the Reds need a solid defender.
Joel Matip or Joe Gomez are not reliable options anymore to replace Van Djik or Konate. In the pre-season friendly against Bayern, Gomez’s inability to defend caused the decisive goal in the last minutes of the game.
Bayern’s Benjamin Pavard and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill have been options for the Anfield giants. But those hopes are also diminishing.
Liverpool have still a lot of work left to do in this window. The midfield is obviously the main concern and the defense also needs some reinforcements.
If the club can manage atleast two more midfield signings and one defensive signing, the Reds have a great shot at winning titles this coming season.
An ardent football fan and a proud Red. I take immense pleasure in analyzing the intricacies of the game.
