Liverpool still need to complete more business, but the deal that saw Dominik Szoboszlai arrive has eased any potential turmoil. Any such sentiment was undoubtedly premature, but there is now a satisfying sense that Jürgen Klopp has already managed to upgrade his options significantly from last season.
Midfield – Liverpool’s biggest problem area for much of the campaign – has added not one but two elite operators. Szoboszlai is probably also an unexpected boost for the front line, where the new man from RB Leipzig has plenty of experience as a winger (albeit a narrow one). Time will tell, but he could be a Mohamed Salah cover option, something that has mostly been missing for years.
But given the scale of departures in Klopp’s engine room, there is still a sense that Liverpool could do with one more midfielder. While Naby Keïta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain might not have been widely available, it was this very issue that meant the other players had to be run into the ground at times, creating problems. It shouldn’t just be a case of replacing “minutes” as for-like, where FSG need to build a real squad if they are serious about competing at the very top again.
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Meanwhile, the defense remains untouched for now. It’s a problem waiting to happen. In the short term there is the question that Joël Matip, Joe Gomez and Ibrahima Konaté could all be labeled injured. It would be unfortunate, but it’s not entirely unlikely that Liverpool could lose them all at once, leaving a huge problem. In the longer term, Virgil van Dijk has just turned 32, with Matip soon to follow, and replacements would ideally be in place ahead of time.
One of the more intriguing names to emerge, Levi Colwill would be the perfect candidate. Liverpool have flirted with the non-homegrown threshold for some time, so making an English-trained player one of its marquee additions would be a shrewd move. Also a left-footer, he would fill a void in Klopp’s side – precious few right-footed players can play on the left as well as Van Dijk, and the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta have made concerted efforts to seek that balance in recent years.
However, there is no getting away from the fact that Colwill would be a major transfer. The assignment originally envisioned for defensive recruiting this summer was a young, cost-effective option who was initially content to come in and be the fourth pick. Such a low ranking is part of the reason why the 20-year-old may try to leave Chelsea, while the Blues certainly won’t allow their academy prospects to leave on the cheap.
Therefore, Colwill is probably resigned to the ranks of the fantasy transfer business. If Liverpool had wanted to push hard for a centre-back from the start, he could have been targeted as the window’s biggest addition. With a contract expiring in 2025, perhaps interest will be revisited. But getting Chelsea to do business this summer for anything resembling a reasonable price looks impossible and would require a colossal statement of intent from FSG.
Still, there’s nothing wrong with dreaming, especially as the club are known to really admire Colwill. They would ‘love to be in the conversation’ if the player refuses to sign a new contract anyway, per Neil Jones for Empire of the Cup.
But something far more grounded in the realm of reality is the third midfielder discussed earlier. Unlike when looking for young left-sided centre-backs, Liverpool are faced with plenty of options. Ideally, Klopp would once again apply the home-grown filter to the search, and he would also seek a more defensive presence.
Whether he has confidence that Fabinho can come back is almost a question. As he turns 30 in October, he clearly won’t be one to stick around for the next great Liverpool team. It is clear that a medium-term plan must be drawn up, and that means looking towards a new number six.
Roméo Lavia could be the solution. With a big tick in the home-grown box, the 19-year-old could come in and play a squad role complementing Fabinho for as long as needed, but would be ready to step up more or less immediately. With a price range somewhere between Alexis Mac Allister and Szoboszlai, a deal seems doable.
Liverpool have solved their problem in the number eight roles. But the FSG midfield rebuild cannot be considered complete until a new number six is signed, so it is a necessary component of a truly elite transfer window.
Someone like Colwill would be the cherry on top. It looks unlikely that Liverpool will pull off a perfect summer, but it’s not far from an impressive eight or nine out of 10 if it can make one or two smarter moves.