Divergent Views: If Liverpool doesn’t sign a defensive midfielder or center back this summer, they will need to do it in 2024. Two of our writers have opinions on the priorities.
Liverpool and the other Premier League teams will be scrambling to see whether any of their players from the Saudi Pro League will be of interest before the deadline in that region closes on September 7.
They won’t be receiving any more after that until January.
Jürgen Klopp’s club rarely makes trades in the midst of the season unless there is an opportunity that has been hastened from the summer.
For instance, an agreement was reached for Cody Gakpo before to Manchester United’s unexpected move, and Luis Díaz
Divergent Views: If Liverpool doesn’t sign a defensive midfielder or center back this summer, they will need to do it in 2024. Two of our writers have opinions on the priorities.
Liverpool and the other Premier League teams will be scrambling to see whether any of their players from the Saudi Pro League will be of interest before the deadline in that region closes on September 7. They won’t be receiving any more after that until January.
Jürgen Klopp’s club rarely makes trades in the midst of the season unless there is an opportunity that has been hastened from the summer.
For instance, an agreement was reached for Cody Gakpo before to Manchester United’s unexpected move, and Luis Díaz
was signed from FC Porto in 2022 amid interest from Spurs and other teams.
More likely, next summer’s proper planning will shortly get under way. The midfield has changed with the addition of Alexis Mac Allister, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endō, and Ryan Gravenberch, but perhaps more is still needed.
The Reds would ideally add a top holding midfielder to the team, and they will also need to find a replacement for Joël Matip, who is anticipated to leave on a free transfer when his contract ends.
If Saudi Arabian interest in Mohamed Salah, who plays for Liverpool, continues, Salah and the Reds may even have to replace him.
However, what are Liverpool’s priorities and where should the lion’s share of the 2024 transfer budget be allocated? You can add your thoughts to the two that our Liverpool.com writers have already shared in the comments box below the article.
“Long-term holding midfield fix” – Matt Addison
Endō is a new signing for Liverpool, however he turns 31 in February. Rather than a long-term fix for losing out on Moisés Caicedo, who may have changed the game, the Japanese is a James Milner replacement.
In essence, Liverpool has until the end of the current campaign to discover the “next Caicedo” (or Aurélien Tchouaméni).
It seems reasonable that Liverpool would make a significant addition at the basis of their midfield next summer, having been ready to pay a British record amount for Caicedo this summer.
A little more of that funding would become available if Thiago Alcântara, who is paid highly, were to depart at the conclusion of his contract.
Although a new defence is also necessary and will likely cost a lot of money, it is more likely that massive sums of money will be spent on the midfield. Additionally, if Salah were to leave, a successor could take up both jobs.
“Find the next Virgil van Dijk” – David Comerford
Liverpool will undoubtedly pay a price this season for not signing a center-back last summer, but the necessity to address the issue will only grow the next year.
Matip will most likely have departed because Liverpool has no need to keep him on, and Gomez will eventually seek to leave in order to get more playing time.
That might leave the Reds with a few young players, an ageing Virgil van Dijk, and an injury-prone Ibrahima Konaté. I wouldn’t be shocked if the defence took centre stage in the upcoming season, much like the midfield has done this summer.
Long-term starting alongside the Frenchman is something Liverpool needs from another Konaté-esque player, but one who is less prone to injuries.
That shows you how high the bar has been set, with no room for compromise, and that Levi Colwill seemed to be the only player the club really sought for that role last summer.
Regarding defensive midfield, Endō should only be considered a temporary fix. However, perhaps, after another year of growth, Stefan Bajčetić will show that he is a viable long-term option.
Leave a Reply