Liverpool recently announced the signing of World Cup winning midfielder, Alexis Mac Allister for £35m but expect that to be just the start of the Reds’ summer business according to Fabrizio Romano.
The reliable transfer specialist has said:Â “Liverpool are working on two more new midfielders after Mac Allister but there’s also clear intention to sign a new centre back this summer.”
https://twitter.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1668081553287569408?s=20
Just focusing on the midfield though, after signing such a talented and creative force in Mac Allister, the Reds should identify a defensive midfielder as their next target.
With one rumoured target in Manuel Ugarte already signing for PSG, Liverpool’s list only seems to be getting shorter and shorter.
We are going to look at three options Liverpool could sign to play in the current Fabinho role after the Brazilian had a disappointing 22/23 season.
Romeo Lavia:
The first name on our list is a name that has been linked with a move to the Reds consistently already and that name is Southampton’s Romeo Lavia.
Lavia is a heavily defensive-minded midfielder, who made 29 Premier League appearances for the South-Coast side last season- scoring one goal.
Defensively, his stats look solid despite being part of an extremely weak Southampton side.
Short passes, tackles, interceptions and blocks aree the strong points of his game, whilst advancing with the ball and shooting are his main let-downs.
Since the Saints’ relegation from the Premier League last month, the 19-year-old looks set to leave the club after only joining from Manchester City last summer.
Recent reports suggest that Liverpool would be heavily interested in the youngster if the player himself gave the green light to the move, with a transfer fee of around £40million being reported in the media.
However, Liverpool will reportedly face competition from Chelsea in the race for the Belgian international’s signature.
Moises Caicedo:
Brighton midfielder Moises Caicedo would undoubtedly be the most expensive player on this list, especially given the cheap price that Mac Allister left the club for.
The 21-year-old will likely cost around £70 million, with Arsenal the favourites to sign the youngster.
The Ecuadorian international isn’t your typical defensive midfielder like a Fabinho or a Rodri, but more like an N’golo Kante style of player.
A small but very quick player, covering a lot of ground whilst also being able to offer in the progression of his side’s attacking play.
Caicedo’s strengths are his passing completion, as well as his defensive stats such as tackles, interceptions and blocks.
The combination between his footballing abilities and his extensive physical ability makes him one of the most complete midfielders in the Premier League.
Sofyan Amrabat:
The final name on this list is Fiorentina midfielder Sofyan Amrabat, who has been linked with a move to the likes of Barcelona, Liverpool and Manchester United since his outstanding performances in the Qatar World Cup.
The 26-year-old was a vital player for Morocco as they reached the Semi-final in that tournament, beating the likes of Belgium and Portugal on the way there.
As well as playing a vital role in Morocco’s success, Amrabat was also an ever-present in Fiorentina’s midfield where he made a total of 49 appearances in all competitions.
Amrabat is of the same profile as Liverpool’s current defensive midfielder, Fabinho, but arguably has a more physical presence than the Brazilian has offered in recent months.
Fiorentina are likely to demand a transfer fee of around £30 million for the midfielder, which is more than affordable for the teams linked with Amrabat.
However, the main stumbling block in this move is that Amrabat has openly spoke about his desire to play in Spain, with Barcelona his preferred destination.
This is actually quite a tricky call to make for Liverpool. The three mentioned are not the solution. They are: too expensive, too expensive and not good enough.
The big issue with signing a CDM is that all your looking for is a cover player for Fabinho. I’m thinking that you don’t want a player who is a direct (immediate) challenger for a starting role. Fabinho went through a very poor phase last season after returning from injury, however by the end of the season he seemed back to his usual self. Now. I’m not sure if his failing were covered up by playing the 3-4-3 system with TAA alongside him or if he was genuinely back to his best. With Bajcetic coming through and Hendo as immediate cover for the role, this is more down to whether the feeling is for Fabinho needs to be replaced or not.
From my perspective, Fab has done enough over the years to be given the benefit of the doubt and for us to assume his drop in form was just a temporary blip. We should 100% commit to going with Fab as the starting CDM for next season.
YNWA