Trey Nyoni Pushing for Liverpool Start as Iraola Faces Midfield Decision

Trey Nyoni may be forcing his way towards a starting role for Liverpool, with David Lynch arguing that the 19-year-old looks particularly well suited to what Andoni Iraola wants from his midfield.

Liverpool’s midfield has attracted plenty of attention during the opening weeks of the season, and Nyoni’s performance from the bench against Nottingham Forest provided another selection question for Iraola.

Speaking to Lynch on Anfield Index’s Media Matters podcast, Dave Davis highlighted the youngster’s contribution during his 14 minutes on the pitch.

Nyoni completed 18 of his 20 passes, won two of his three ground duels and registered two tackles, two recoveries and an interception.

“What I also liked was he passed the ball forward at pace,” Davis said.

With Liverpool still searching for the right midfield combination, Nyoni is giving Iraola another option.

Nyoni Making Case on Merit

Lynch believes Liverpool may soon reach the point where Nyoni’s age becomes less important than what he is producing on the pitch.

“The thing is with Trey, by the way, I think he should be very, very close to starting if it is a true meritocracy,” Lynch said.

That is a significant assessment given the competition Nyoni faces.

Liverpool have Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai among Iraola’s midfield options, yet Lynch believes Nyoni possesses qualities particularly suited to the manager’s requirements.

“I think on the evidence we’ve seen so far, he’s possibly the best suited out of any of them in terms of what he has physically, what he has in terms of his ability on the ball.”

More importantly, Lynch sees evidence that Nyoni understands what Iraola requires.

“He’s doing more of the things that the manager wants than anyone really and is capable of doing them.”

Liverpool Must Decide Whether Age Matters

Nyoni is still only 19 and Lynch acknowledged the obvious risks attached to placing greater responsibility on such a young midfielder.

“He might feel too young at 19 years old and maybe he is and maybe there are big mistakes for him to make and we’re going to have to kind of suck it up.”

The alternative is holding a player back despite evidence that he may already be capable of contributing.

Lynch referenced Manchester City giving opportunities to young players before returning to the Liverpool midfielder.

“Trey is 19 and I genuinely just think you’re in a position now where you’re probably going to have to use him because he just looks the best suited really.”

That does not guarantee Nyoni a permanent place in Liverpool’s starting XI. It does, however, make his involvement increasingly difficult to ignore.

Curtis Jones Minutes Could Go to Nyoni

Nyoni’s emergence also appears to have influenced Liverpool’s thinking in the transfer market.

Lynch explained that Liverpool were unlikely to pursue another midfielder once Nyoni demonstrated that he could absorb the minutes previously available to Curtis Jones.

“Once Trey started to prove that he could take Curtis’s minutes, which are around kind of a thousandish or whatever, and you have to accept that that will happen, they were never then going to sign a midfielder unless Mac Allister got sold.”

That scenario has not materialised.

Later in the discussion, Lynch returned to the same point.

“Trey has, I think, made himself look ready to take on Curtis’s minutes.”

Liverpool therefore appear prepared to find solutions from within the squad rather than adding another midfielder before the transfer deadline.

Iraola Has Major Selection Call

Nyoni could also benefit from Liverpool’s problems elsewhere.

Lynch has advocated moving Szoboszlai to right-back in the short term, which would create another opening in midfield.

“I think it solves that full-back issue on the right-hand side,” Lynch said of moving Szoboszlai. “It gives you then an opportunity to maybe bring Trey into midfield.”

The discussion returned to that possibility when Davis asked about Liverpool’s next game.

Lynch believes there is now “a real case to be made” for moving Szoboszlai to right-back and bringing Nyoni into midfield.

He added that Iraola must consider “whether it’s just time to kind of bite the bullet and start him” based on what Nyoni has produced from the bench, during pre-season and in training.

Liverpool’s midfield remains a work in progress and Lynch stressed that the wider group can still improve.

Nyoni, though, has put himself firmly into the conversation.

If Iraola intends to reward performances rather than reputation or experience, Liverpool’s 19-year-old midfielder may be much closer to a Premier League start than many expected.