After spending practically £100 million to this point this summer season, Liverpool are nonetheless very gentle in midfield.
A brand new No. 6 is required to come back straight into the primary workforce, offering stability in an already overhauled division, while respecting the finances for the window and the wage construction in place.
Not solely did the Reds not plan for this, however the marketplace for No. 6 choices has just lately been inflated by nine-figure strikes for Enzo Fernandez, Declan Rice and (quickly) Moises Caicedo.
With such stringent standards to satisfy, listed here are a couple of instructions they may go in.
The pure inheritor
There’s neat symmetry to hyperlinks with Florentino Luis.
The Portuguese will quickly be the identical age (24) as Fabinho was on his arrival, having performed in a double pivot for a title-winning aspect in Europe.
However essentially the most thrilling parallels are on the sphere. Utilizing Smarterscout, we are able to see that Luis profiles excellently subsequent to Fabinho‘s peak season 2019/20:
Like Fabinho, Luis defends aggressively, stepping forwards to interrupt up opposition assaults.
It’s the proper fashion for a workforce like Liverpool that “need to be a possession workforce, a high-press workforce, specialists [in both].”
Benfica performed the same fashion final yr, averaging 63 p.c possession within the league, the place Luis’ press resistance and secure passing proved helpful.
To exchange Fabinho‘s “impulse of defending forwards” and ball retention, Luis is an ideal match.
Sadly, for this reason he carries a €103 million launch clause, and Benfica are below no stress to promote.
The prospect
Andre Trindade, often known as Andre, is one other potential successor to Fabinho.
The 22-year-old can also be Brazilian and likewise performs in a pair as a part of a 4-2-3-1. He even just lately picked up his first Brazil cap on the similar age as El Flaco.
Statistically he’s thrived at his degree, as proven on FBRef, although crucially these metrics aren’t adjusted for Premier League normal.
Andre is a high-volume passer with a formidable vary, just like Thiago, and he’s an distinctive provider of the ball.
He’s extraordinarily press resistant. And his dribbling helps him with that.
He was the most effective and essentially the most environment friendly dribbler within the BRAZILIAN league final season, which says quite a bit about him. pic.twitter.com/zuLdAEbWhP
— Pranav (@pranav_m28) July 15, 2023
Extra importantly, he’s a proactive defender, rating extremely for tackles and interceptions.
And his combative persona can be a welcome addition to the customarily fragile engine room of final season, though with 22 yellow playing cards since 2021, he may rein it in a contact.
At 5’9″, Andre would require assist from defenders in contesting aerial duels. Often Liverpool’s No. 6 is solely answerable for successful headers of their space – pulling in assist from elsewhere creates a pure vulnerability if the duel is misplaced.
And regardless of being solely a yr youthful than Florentino Luis, he’s a rougher diamond, having by no means left Fluminense within the Brazilian Serie A.
Linked with Fulham, he may rapidly exceed Liverpool’s finances if he impresses there – just like Cheick Doucoure at Crystal Palace.
But it surely’s nonetheless a threat to recruit Andre as a starter now.
The teaching undertaking
PSV’s Ibrahim Sangare operated in a double pivot final season, and below each Ruud van Nistelrooy and Peter Bosz he was tasked with supporting a excessive defensive position and excessive press together with his bodily dominance.
His defensive metrics display simply how efficient he was.
His spectacular press resistance and dribbling led us to profile him as a Wijnaldum alternative, however his very good studying of the sport – all the time in the fitting place on the proper time to interrupt up opposition assaults – would make him extremely efficient as a No. 6 with teaching from Klopp.
Much like the Fabinho that arrived slightly than the one which emerged, Sangare may make the same adaptation.
Pursued by Nottingham Forest after years of hyperlinks to high golf equipment, Liverpool may enable the continued negotiations to ascertain PSV’s parameters earlier than becoming a member of the race, just like how they used Tottenham‘s pursuit of Luis Diaz.
The under-appreciated asset
As just lately as January 2022, Denis Zakaria was one of the crucial coveted defensive midfielders on the earth.
After a disastrous transfer to Juventus and an underwhelming mortgage at Chelsea, he’s now been excluded from Juventus’ squad and made obtainable on the market. However is he a possible cut price?
The now 26-year-old was excellent within the Bundesliga, famous for his dynamism, stamina, tackling and talent to dribble previous opponents.
His Smarterscout profile from his peak season is uncommon, exhibiting a defensive midfielder whose finest attributes are his ball carrying and shot quantity.
The attention take a look at reveals why: Zakaria is a participant who thrives in transitional video games, in a position to win one-on-one duels and rapidly flip defence into assault.
His lengthy limbs and glorious management in tight areas permits him to win the ball, shimmy out of stress and carry it forwards into house.
At his finest he resembles Naby Keita within the physique of Fabinho.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ep2A1Srywl4
The priority is his damage file – not that he’s susceptible to additional accidents, however that these he’s already suffered have stolen his bodily presents, the lynchpin of his sport.
As soon as valued at €45 million, Zakaria’s present scenario makes his mum or dad membership extremely motivated sellers.
He may show to be a steal at a diminished value – and Liverpool have already proven curiosity greater than as soon as prior to now.
The in-house answer
Curtis Jones has already impressed in a sophisticated position for Liverpool, together with his passing, scoring and tackling numbers all excellent in the course of the run-in.
However he performed as a double six for England in successful the U21 Euros, the place his skill to maneuver the ball – allied together with his shut management and intelligence – made him extremely efficient.
94% – Curtis Jones accomplished 94% of his passes on the #U21EURO Championship, the best share of any midfielder within the event (min. 300 minutes performed). Metronome. pic.twitter.com/YJb7ptUqQZ
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) July 9, 2023
Jones additionally displayed a wonderful sense of timing to make interceptions and launch assaults. Right here, towards Israel, he anticipated the free clearance…
…seizing on it earlier than instantly enjoying a stunning no-look via ball.
We’ve additionally seen his creativity from deep within the 5-1 win at Porto in 2021, notably his help for Roberto Firmino – one in all 4 he facilitated on the evening.
Jones is a poor match for the position in a 4-3-3, given his lack of expertise and unremarkable defensive metrics (although these are partly a symptom of him enjoying a special place).
However we’ve seen in pre-season that the inverted full-back system will persist. He’d have a associate, just like the England setup, so he might be equally efficient.
Utilizing Jones helps Liverpool with their homegrown quota, too.
Deploying him deeper this season may save on a non-homegrown recruit, and later enable Fabio Carvalho to inherit the extra superior 8/10 position if he returns from mortgage at Leipzig.
Good, long-term squad administration on this chaotic window can be a basic Liverpool transfer.
Whoever inherits the place, finishing the overhaul of midfield ought to put the Reds on observe for an thrilling resurgence within the coming season.
