Despite their big summer hiring, the Reds still seem eager to bolster their midfield ranks.
After making significant moves to let go of important players who had been the cornerstone of his team in previous years, manager Jurgen Klopp oversaw something of a wholesale squad revamp, and Liverpool now seem to be reaping the benefits of a summer of change at Anfield in the playing department.
The midfield ranks, in particular, saw a seismic shake-up with the departure of players such as Fabinho, James Milner, and Jordan Henderson. The former Borussia Dortmund manager mercilessly applied the knife after a dismal season for the team as a whole.
The Merseyside giants are now in the mix near the top of the standings, and they are focused on making up for their lackluster 2022–23 season, which they lost out on qualifying for the Champions League the previous year.
Particularly, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister’s arrivals appear to have given Klopp’s team new life recently. Jamie Carragher has called the former “one of the best players” in the team, while TNT Sports pundit Joe Cole has referred to the latter as an unquestionable “superstar”.
The future appears bright at Anfield in the middle of the park with talented playmaker Ryan Gravenberch also starting to make his mark, prompting comparisons to Arsenal great Patrick Vieira from Carragher. However, it doesn’t mean that the puzzle is finished.
While Klopp did bring in Wataru Endo, an accomplished player, to replace Fabinho in front of the back four, a longer-term replacement may be needed, with the missing component likely to arrive in 2024.
Midfielder is Liverpool’s top transfer target.
Andre Trindade, a 22-year-old Brazilian sensation who turned down a Premier League team in the summer, is reportedly still Klopp and company’s top target coming into the January transfer window. It’s safe to say that Trindade’s name is on everyone’s lips right now.
It appears that Liverpool is still interested in signing the Copa Libertadores winner, but Fulham is reportedly the “strongest candidate in England.” Arsenal is another team that may make a move for the midfield player.
In light of this, it would be wise for the Reds to diversify their holdings, as reports from earlier this week suggested that the team is interested in Youssouf Fofana of Monaco, who is in the last year of his contract at Stade Louis II.
As per 90min, the 24-year-old is being actively watched by Manchester United, but the Frenchman is also ‘on their radar’ at Anfield, where he is also being watched by the Gunners and Newcastle United.
A deep-lying midfielder by trade, Fofana could be the perfect solution for Klopp at the base of his central trio, with the one-time Strasbourg man able to follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned Fabinho by making the move from Monaco to Merseyside.
The numbers indicate that Youssouf Fofana would make a valuable addition to Liverpool
When Liverpool acquired the now-departed Fabinho from the Ligue 1 team back in 2018, they undoubtedly struck gold. The Brazilian dynamo went on to become an important cog in Klopp’s unrelenting machine, helping the team win both the Champions League and the Premier League.
Before departing for Saudi Arabia this summer, the former Real Madrid master scored 11 goals and dished out ten assists in 219 appearances across all competitions for the Anfield team. At one point, Gary Neville of Sky Sports called him the “best” in the world at his position.
It’s not an easy mission to try to replace that hole, but Fofana seems to have what it takes to be able to do so, as noted talent scout Jacek Kulig describes him as a genuinely “magnificent player” in recent years.
The Monaco player’s abilities were clearly demonstrated in the top flight of France the previous season, as he scored twice, provided two assists, and created six “big chances” in 36 league games. This performance was superior to that of Fabinho in the Premier League in 2022–2023, where he managed to provide two assists, no goals, and four “big chances.”
Fofana’s ability on defense was again demonstrated the previous season, as he averaged an impressive 3.9 tackles and interceptions per game, whereas Fabinho only averaged 2.8 in that category.
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