Liverpool has previously sold its commander in this transfer window, and its only senior, cautious midfielder is set to be next out of the door. Assuming there's one thing that has become clear, it's that nothing can be precluded this mid-year.
As a result, a few wildcard options cannot be ruled out, even as some aspects of Liverpool's transfer strategy for the remainder of the window begin to take shape. Indeed, even Dominik Szoboszlai, who ticks large numbers of the typical enrollment boxes, came to some degree completely unexpected—tthere is a lot of time for a few additional exciting bends in the road on schedule.
The only near-certainty at this point is that Liverpool will sign a new midfielder. One more was at that point likely on the plan before both Jordan Henderson and Fabinho increased sticks, so it's currently extremely clear that another person should be agreed upon.
According to the Daily Mail, Liverpool and Southampton appear to be closing in on a deal, and Roméo Lavia appears to be the leading contender. Given his young age and limited Premier League experience, the 19-year-old is a bit of a wildcard, but he has emerged as the preferred option.
However, what happens if Liverpool goes beyond the midfield? If the club agreed to pay Lavia, it would come as a surprise even more to see a deal approved that was even close to Crystal Palace's asking price for Cheick Doucouré.
Again, according to the Mail, the London club has Doucouré valued at $90 million (£70 million or €82 million). However, if FSG determines that Fabinho is the best option, the owners might be unusually willing to go big and close the deal because Liverpool would pocket almost half of that fee.
Numerous factors favour Doucouré. He has only played in the Premier League once, like Lavia, but signing both players at the same time would somewhat mitigate the risk of those bets. Sharing the weight of Fabinho's minutes, with Stefan Bajeti in the blend as well, these would be areas of strength for a number of choices heading into the new mission.
Doucouré and Lavia in particular clearly fit the mould of Fabinho, but all three are excellent game readers. In fact, they are nonetheless satisfied to zero in principally on separating the play, snuffing out assaults, and afterward keeping it straightforward under lock and key.
With Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, and Thiago all having a lot of potential in the advanced position of number eight, and Cody Gakpo having also been successful in a trial there, Liverpool could probably say goodbye to midfield with the addition of Lavia and Doucouré. However, the defence must still be addressed. If you enjoyed this piece, you will love our Liverpool.com newsletter because we send exclusive bonus content every weekday only to subscribers!
Free of charge, our newsletter subscribers receive a Monday-to-Friday recap from one of the best Liverpool FC writers in their inbox.
You shouldn't miss out, no matter where you are in the world—in the United States, the United Kingdom, or somewhere else.
Sincerely, it would not come as a surprise for Liverpool to postpone this component of the rebuild until the following summer, particularly if the club approves a significant investment in someone like Doucouré. However, despite the fact that that would appear justified on paper, it would put the team in danger of repeating the midfield scenario from the previous season.
If nothing else, Liverpool needs to reinforce the crew choices in the back line, regardless of whether that implies finding a band-aid until a major spend is endorsed the following summer. A move for Joko Gvardiol in 2024 would be extremely tempting, given that Manchester City has not yet agreed to a deal.
No matter what the marquee name is, however, Liverpool should make arrangements, assuming it means to stand by one more year. In essence, Jürgen Klopp must repeat the Arthur strategy, but this time it can be given more thought than a rush on the day of the deadline.
This could lead Liverpool in the direction of a free specialist who has quite recently left Everton. Yerry Mina would undoubtedly surprise everyone, but there are worse options.
Mina would not have to pay a transfer fee because Everton had released the Colombian. He would likewise be quickly prepared for Chief Association activity, something that wouldn't be valid for any trade-off 'project' choice with a high roof, however far to go.
His elite goal threat follows next. With the Colombian centre back ranking 99th among centre backs in Europe's top five leagues for both goals and expected goals per 90 minutes over the past year (FBref), Mina is a threat from set plays, which Klopp has been drumming up in recent months. In a similar vein, he possesses aerial dominance, which is yet another essential qualification for Liverpool.
Mina's primary flaw is that he is not a native. He and Doucouré may not be registered together unless there are additional payments, and Liverpool will be aware that the former Everton player has a similar profile to a particular Nat Phillips.
It appears unimaginable that Phillips will be saved for one more season. Injuries and Liverpool's value, among other factors, have hampered his ability to leave in each of the previous transfer windows. However, maybe the local problem will be the most recent thing that keeps the 26-year-old on the books.
Klopp would likewise need to fight with Mina's sketchy physical issue record, assuming he was marked, and that would raise genuine warnings of incidentally rehashing the Arthur circumstance. However, in a summer where "anything can happen," this would be a truly wildcard end that might just keep Liverpool in the game until 2024.
blogpay
Total Comments: 0