Liverpool could finally put their midfield headaches to bed with this inspired £50m signing

Liverpool entered this transfer window with one main goal in mind — to restructure their midfield and build the engine room the fans have been wishing for, for many years now. Even when the Reds were at the very top of their game — lifting the Premier League and Champions League trophy — the midfield was always the weaker area.

Of course, it sounds ridiculous to describe any part of a title-winning team as weak, but it’s no secret that Liverpool have been playing the long game with their midfield for some time now. For years, they boasted one of the most clinical attacks in world football — the deadly combination of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mané and Roberto Firmino was devastating for any team who didn’t know how to handle them. And even for those who did do their homework, the trio still found a way to dominate, tallying a combined 338 goals and 139 assists between them, in fact.

It’s fortunate that Jurgen Klopp’s front three was so clinical because they were able to carry the entire attacking load on their backs. Very little was required of anyone else in the team because it was inevitable that one of the three — sometimes two or even all of them — would get on the scoresheet, with another setting him up for the glory more often than not. That is truly the stuff of dreams for any fan. Liverpool didn’t need to worry too much about creating chances from midfield because their attack did enough to cover all bases.

Now though, it’s a different story. Like every team, new eras have to dawn and players must eventually move on — if that wasn’t the nature of the game, I’m sure Liverpool would still have Steven Gerrard coming off the bench as a super sub. Firmino’s departure alongside James Milner at the end of last season marked the end of a golden era at Anfield, and Jordan Henderson’s controversial decision to uproot to Saudi Arabia just about summed it up as well.

The Reds were probably feeling a little smug before all that, after all, they had just dropped £95 million on Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, which is reason enough heading into a tough Premier League season. But rain clouds started to creep in on what was looking to be a very bright transfer window. Not only had both the captain and vice-captain moved on to pastures new, but Fabinho also made his way out the door, leaving a gaping hole in the squad.

After signing two creative, attacking-minded midfielders, Liverpool found themselves floundering for defensive options, something that nobody really expected heading into the summer. As it stands, 18-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, who has just 19 appearances under his belt, is Liverpool’s only natural defensive midfielder on the senior roster. Quite the opposite of where most fans expected to be at this point, we imagine.

Fortunately, the Reds were already eyeing up a new recruit for the No.6 role in Roméo Lavia, and it was always on the agenda to sign a third midfielder. They’re not giving up on the Southampton man either, Liverpool are determined to bring him to Anfield and the latest update on their situation is that they are preparing a third offer to try and wear the Saints down. There are other names on the rumour mill as well, and one of them is Cheick Doucouré, who has turned a lot of heads after his maiden season with Crystal Palace.

The 23-year-old only joined the Eagles last summer, so prising him from their talons will be a tall ask for any club, but Liverpool have been keeping an eye on him ever since they agreed to sell Henderson and Fabinho. They’ll need to fork out a decent wad of cash though, as the current market for defensive midfielders has spiked due to the Declan Rice and Moisés Caicedo transfer sagas. Naturally, clubs are licking their lips knowing they can up their asking prices and sure enough, Palace are now looking for around £50 million for Doucouré, despite initially quoting a £35 million asking price.

The fee shouldn’t really bother Liverpool. This is an area they are in serious need of strengthening and the money pocketed from the Henderson and Fabinho sales will surely it, especially as Lavia was already factored into the budget before the midfield exodus.

Plus, Doucouré would be very good recruit for Liverpool, especially if they land Lavia as well. Last season, the Palace midfielder outranked Fabinho in most defensive statistics. According to WhoScored?, Doucouré averaged 2.3 tackles and 1.6 interceptions per 90 minutes, compared to Fabinho’s respective 1.8 and 1. As well as having the better defensive record of the two, Doucouré also contributed more shots and key passes per match, showcasing his versatility.

It’s also worth noting that the Mali international was named Palace’s Player of the Season during his debut campaign, beating the likes of Marc Guéhi and Michael Olise to the honour.

Lavia is the top priority right now but if Klopp brings both midfielders, Liverpool will have enough to see them through the season without worrying about lack of depth. The two potential new signings will join Bajcetic to cover the No.6 role, while new boys Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will be supported by Thiago, Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones. Let’s not forget that Trent Alexander-Arnold has been plying his trade in midfield as well, which we could see more of next term.

Even with the new signings and linked recruits, Liverpool will still a smaller engine room than some clubs, but it’s enough to end any serious worries until the next summer window at least.