Liverpool have a £50m transfer problem that could make Jurgen Klopp look foolish

It was an open goal for those supporters who, even before kick-off, were already having their patience tested by Liverpool.

The news the final pre-season friendly for Jurgen Klopp’s side had been delayed by 15 minutes due to the team bus being caught up in traffic outside Deepdale

prompted the inevitable quips that everything is behind schedule this summer.

Such has been the unease at Liverpool’s pursuit of Romeo Lavia, a chase former Anfield favourite Jamie Carragher dubbed “embarrassing” after a third bid of

around £46million was dismissed by Southampton.

The Championship side remain steadfast in their £50m valuation of the 19-year-old, and have no doubt taken delight in leaking each failed attempt from the Reds to

broker a reduced fee. If it wasn’t obvious already, it’s now painfully clear Liverpool are going to have to cough up the full whack if they want the player.

And that Liverpool are now within days of going into the new Premier League season without a proven defensive midfielder is bordering on a dereliction of duty,

regardless of the unexpected nature of the departures of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabia.

After all, it’s been almost three weeks since the Reds were aware those transfers were likely. And the recruitment team – led by sporting director Jorg

Schmadtke, who was an interested observer here at Preston North End – are in danger of leaving Klopp looking foolish for previously insisting a new player would

arrive before the start of the season.

Of course, there’s still time for Liverpool to get the Lavia deal over the line before the visit to Chelsea on Sunday. But the Belgium international – or whoever is

eventually recruited – will have to be thrown straight in at the deep end, valuable preparation time having been wasted.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones have filled the breach at number six during pre-season with mixed results. However, the latter carrying a knock and the

need for Alexander-Arnold to have more minutes in his inverted right-back role meant there was another experiment in defensive midfield here.

Alexis Mac Allister’s versatility in the engine room was one of many selling points when Liverpool came calling in June, but the Argentine couldn’t have expected to

be employed in the role so early in his Anfield career.

The £35m man, showing no signs of the knee problem that forced him off at half-time against Bayern Munich last week, delivered another classy performance, using

the ball well, demonstrating vision and tenacity while also having the ability to drift beyond players. Mac Allister is already looking the full package.

Even he, though, would say his main inclination is to attack rather than defend. And with Liverpool still tweaking the three-box-three formation aimed at releasing

Alexander-Arnold from his right-back confines, there were again moments when their defence appeared exposed, particularly to runners from deep.

A case in point came after only 10 minutes when Liverpool, not for the first time in recent weeks, were opened up by a simple ball over the top as Braydon Manu sent

Mathias Honsak scurrying away to score. It was the first goal Darmstadt had scored in five friendlies this summer.

Going forward, however, the Reds have had few issues, scoring at least three in each of their warm-up matches, with two coming inside the opening eight minutes.

The first was via one of their new weapons, the set-piece prowess of summer signing Dominik Szoboszlai. After only two minutes, his whipped corner from the left

was flicked on by Luis Diaz at the near post, touched by Virgil van Dijk and finished at close range by Mohamed Salah.

The Egyptian then turned provider when winning the ball inside the Darmstadt penalty area and feeding Diogo Jota, who continued his pre-season goalscoring form

by slotting home confidently.

Salah has emerged as the latest target for the Saudi Pro League, prompting his agent Ramy Abbas Issa to post a message on social media earlier in the

day reiterating his client’s commitment to Liverpool. With seven assists and two goals in the warm-up programme, Salah remains the best player at Klopp’s

disposal.

Szoboszlai was again involved in the third goal on 59 minutes, another corner to the near post again met by Diaz, who this time produced an acrobatic flick that

thundered home.

In general play, Szoboszlai continues to find his feet, both in terms of positioning and the unique demands of playing in a Klopp midfield. He was booked for one

late challenge, but prompted applause from the crowd with some of his pressing.

Elsewhere, Ibrahima Konate showed a decisiveness and positivity that wasn’t always apparent in defensive colleagues who would greatly benefit from more

consistent protection in front of them. Cody Gakpo didn’t quite spark consistently in midfield, while Darwin Nunez – the only one of the five senior forwards not to

start – could have added to Liverpool’s tally with a little more composure having been introduced on the hour.

But the most eye-catching of the second-half cameos from the bench was once again Ben Doak, the 17-year-old showing no fear and close to adding to his goal

against Leicester in Singapore.

The rehearsal, though, is now over for Liverpool. Now Klopp must ensure his team arrive on time for the start of the Premier League season at Stamford Bridge.