Too many question marks remain to justify turning attention to the transfer elsewhere
Paul Gorst: Having seen their midfield crumble due to form and fitness issues last term, the big question for Liverpool this summer has been how many additions constitute an acceptable rebuild?
With James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita now officially out of the wage bill and Arthur Melo back at Juventus after an ill-fated loan spell, there has been much debate about how many players the Reds need to adequately restructure their engine room.
With Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai now both through the door, Liverpool need a third to really bolster that department or will they need to use what’s left of the transfer kit, someone who doesn’t have the luxury of the Champions League shot, to rebuild it , elsewhere?
Should a centre-back now be targeted or do the Reds still need another midfielder to ensure the problems that dogged them last term are over for good? These are the relevant questions Jurgen Klopp will now wrestle with.
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For my money, I think a third midfielder would really see the midfield department rebuilt. While the arrival of a new player is always something of a relative unknown, there are too many other question marks already in the lineup to say that Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will be enough.
Can Stefan Bajcetic’s body handle the long-term rigors of Premier League football?
Will Thiago Alcantara stay fit?
Is Fabinho really over the worst form problems?
Can Jordan Henderson get back to the level of the last few years?
Will Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones really build on their efforts last season?
Simply put, there are still too many posers for Klopp to consider that an extra midfielder is not necessary.
Who the third signing is I will leave to the recruitment team, but a more defensively minded operator would really show the Reds are capable this coming campaign after the excellent additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. Liverpool have started their summer transfer business in excellent fashion, but a third and final midfield option is still needed.
Liverpool must first correct past transfer mistakes
Joe Rimmer: The need for Liverpool’s midfield rebuild is driven by the mistakes made in previous windows.
Had Liverpool been more aggressive or, to use Jurgen Klopp’s own words, taken more chances in summers past, they wouldn’t need the bodies they do in the middle of the park.
But after failed pursuits of Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham saw the Reds opt to play to go again, they have found themselves in a position where they simply have to invest most of their money in midfielders this summer.
Indeed, even after signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, they cannot afford to go into next season relying on the fitness or form of players such as Jordan Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott or Stefan Bajcetic. Whether it’s injuries, lack of experience or form issues, each has shown they need reliable bodies around them.
Therefore, it is important that Liverpool get the foundations right and are not tempted to wait until next summer to see who is available.
In doing so, however, they cannot allow other areas of the team to stagnate in the same way they did with the midfield. So while I would argue that remains the priority, a young centre-back should also be recruited to help ease the transition with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now in their 30s.
One more through the door should be enough
Tom Cavilla: Liverpool’s midfield has received a major upgrade in the form of Alexis MacAllister and Dominik Szoboszlai – and the renewal of this department should not end there.
The Reds’ lack of investment in this part of the pitch came back to bite Jurgen Klopp’s side last season, injuries to key players leaving the team short of options and quality as the game began to pile up.
Being short in midfield is simply a risk Liverpool cannot afford to take for the second consecutive summer transfer window and should therefore result in a third and final arrival in the coming weeks.
Khephren Thuram and Romeo Lavia have been mentioned as two possible additions to the squad and both individuals would give the team some much needed physicality: a problem that Szoboszlai will help solve after completing his £60m move.
I’m not sure Liverpool can continue to call on Fabinho and Jordan Henderson on a weekly basis if recent performances are anything to go by, and Thiago Alcantara’s fitness issues mean there are no guarantees the Spaniard can rally a series of matches in the side. . Options will be there for Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic next campaign, but they are not the individuals likely to be central figures in the team’s quest for silverware.