Liverpool’s Transfer Frenzy:
It’s fair to argue that the signings of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from RB Leipzig and Brighton, respectively, gave Liverpool’s summer transfer window a promising start.
With the revelation that a Steven Gerrard-led Al-Ettifaq was considering a transfer for captain Jordan Henderson, the upbeat atmosphere that had been permeating the air since that time was first tempered. That was before the Englishman and specialist No. 6 Fabinho officially left for Al-Ittihad, a fellow Saudi Pro League team, and things really got crazy.
‘X,’ Elon Musk’s vanity project, has received reactions ranging from optimism to outright criticism. It is a social media network that, if anything, appears prepared to usher in a new and even murkier era by mining the very worst of Twitter — sorry, ‘X’ — for its content.
The magnitude of work Liverpool had to do before making any changes to their plan in response to the aforementioned pair of sportsmen exchanging red for one sizable last payday does not negate the validity or necessity of some concern and criticism, though.
What direction will Liverpool go next? Romeo Lavia must come next, right?
The three parties involved—sporting director Jorg Schmadtke, the hiring team, and the coaching staff—seem to agree that the best course of action is to bring in AT LEAST ONE QUALIFIED HOLDING MIDFIELDER (preferably TWO NEW MIDFIELDERS) to fill the void.
Since Declan Rice’s hugely lucrative deal with Arsenal was finally completed, taking perhaps the market’s top remaining piece firmly off the board, the possibilities have, obviously, been far from inspiring.
Online, we hear the outrageously irrational and increasingly deranged masses scream, “But, but, but – AURELIEN TCHOUAMENI.”
If we’re being totally honest, Real Madrid won’t allow one of their prized possessions to leave this summer. Even more brutally realistically, the market’s current conditions seem to offer few opportunities.
Romeo Lavia and Fluminense’s Andre, who has just become the flavor of the month, currently seem to be the most likely candidates (though not assured, let’s be very clear about that) to arrive at Anfield before the window closes.
Given that the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A is already well underway and scheduled to be played until December 3 of this year, we have our doubts that an agreement will be reached for the latter this summer. If we are unable to convince the 22-year-old to accept our offer, then perhaps it should be noted for the January window.
If not, we shouldn’t be against the club looking for new profiles to restock the midfield department in the interim, as Sky Sport’s Melissa Reddy notes below.
Dialogue open between Southampton and Liverpool over Romeo Lavia. He wants the move but compromise still needed over the fee. LFC working on other options. They are in talks with Fluminense for Andre. Clear the club are looking at two profiles: controller, progressive destroyer.
— Melissa Reddy (@MelissaReddy_) August 2, 2023
The player has previously expressed his desire to go to Merseyside this summer, and it is believed that Liverpool is preparing a third (and hopefully final) bid.
That’s one box checked, but before we even start looking for left-footed centre-backs on the market, we would want to have another one right behind him.
Even though we’re aware that Micky van de Ven is officially off the market as a result of Tottenham’s successful raid, we’d like to think that our list extends beyond the Dutchman and Chelsea’s Levi Colwill (who is no longer in the running after signing a contract extension).
The preseason highlighted worries over Joel Matip’s capacity to fulfill Ibrahima Konate’s novel new function when our starting right-back is shining in the hybrid midfield role, raising questions about how precisely our remaining budget should be distributed.
Does Liverpool believe that Virgil van Dijk can handle the season’s expectations and go find the Frenchman better competition? Or reach the equally valid conclusion that depth is required for our excellent but aging 32-year-old colossus?
In either case, it’s imperative that we have a specific course of action in mind as soon as we shake off our worries about the middle.
Don’t be shocked if the club dampens any remaining internet exuberance as we get closer to kickoff against Mauricio Pochettino’s team in a little over a week. The club has a history of stunning fans with their business in the window.
We must remember that Liverpool’s task in this situation is challenging (even without the aforementioned exits), but if we don’t make two (preferably three) substantial additions in the near future, we’ll have blown both feet completely off from the ankles.