This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Neil Jones’ exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service at thedailybriefing.io Alan Varela linked with Liverpool but Reds are well-stocked in midfield I’m not aware of anything concrete in links between Liverpool […]
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This article was originally published on the Daily Briefing, a subscription service. If you would like to receive Neil Jones’ exclusive articles via email ahead of publication on caughtoffside.com, please sign-up for the service at thedailybriefing.io
I’m not aware of anything concrete in links between Liverpool and the Porto midfielder Alan Varela. Right now, I believe the Reds are pretty well-stocked in that area, even if they will lose Thiago Alcantara on a free transfer in the summer.
Wataru Endo aside, Liverpool have a real core of midfield players aged 25 and under. Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have settled in well during their first season, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott have developed into trusted first-team players, and while Ryan Gravenberch hasn’t necessarily hit all of the heights he would have liked yet – more on that below – it is important to remember that the Dutchman is still only 21 and is a player of considerable potential.
So too is Stefan Bajcetic, who has recently returned to action, and I believe he is an important player to think about when discussing Liverpool’s midfield plans. He is only 19, has already made an impression on the first team, and has the skills and versatility to play as a No.6 or a No.8, depending on the needs of the team.
He is viewed internally at Liverpool as a big player for the future, and I expect him to have a significant role to play going forward, and therefore a significant impact on the club’s transfer plans in midfield.
It is fair to say that of the four midfielders signed last summer, Gravenberch has been the least impressive so far. But I would still be surprised if Liverpool were to cut their losses on the Dutchman after only one season, despite some outlets linking him with interest from Galatasaray.
At 21, it is clear that there is still room for development in his game. The skills are there – he has good size and strength, he moves well with the ball and he has excellent technical qualities – but he is still a player of moments, rather than one who really imprints himself on a game. Too often, he drifts in and out, and in a Premier League midfield that can stand out a lot.
He’s also had some bad luck. He started the Carabao Cup final at Wembley but was taken out by Moises Caicedo early on, and there have been a couple of muscle issues that have struck him when he was threatening to establish himself in the XI.
There’s no doubt that he can improve, and that he will need to if he is to make himself a regular starter, but his goal against Fulham on Sunday shows what he is capable of, and I expect Gravenberch to get at least another season to show why Liverpool tracked him for so long, and why they were so keen to rescue him from Bayern Munich last year.
Of all the areas Liverpool could strengthen this summer, I believe centre-back is the most obviously in need.
The development of Jarell Quansah this season has been superb, and the 21-year-old should be a first-team staple going forward, but there is still a lack of depth in the position.
Joel Matip is out of contract at the end of the campaign, and probably won’t be fit to play until the autumn in any case, and while Ibrahima Konate is potentially one of the best centre-backs around, he is hard to truly rely on, with so many muscle injuries curtailing his progress.
Joe Gomez’s last 12-18 months have seen him become more of a full-back than a centre-half, so that leaves the incomparable Virgil van Dijk, who will turn 33 in July, and while the captain is not exactly looking his age, it would certainly be prudent of Liverpool to start planning for the longer term with a new signing.
Their interest in Levi Colwill is long-standing, and there were suggestions of a bid last summer before he signed his new contract at Chelsea. I don’t expect the Londoners to sell Colwill this time around, but if they did then I would expect Liverpool to be in the mix.
Willian Pancho of Eintracht Frankfurt has also been linked, but I am not aware of anything concrete in that one. What I would say is that the player’s age, experience and potential certainly makes him an interesting prospect. I would be surprised if Liverpool do not sign a young centre-back this summer.
Sunday’s win over Fulham was not only vital in terms of the Premier League title race, but also in restoring some confidence to Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Liverpool have had a tough few weeks, struggling to score goals and struggling to keep clean sheets. And when you put those two factors together, well, you’re going to struggle to get results!
They needed a response at Craven Cottage, and I think they produced one. Fulham were a little underwhelming, if I’m being honest, but Liverpool’s energy levels, counter-pressing and intensity were all much better, and they were able to add a clinical finish to their play too.
We all know about Trent Alexander-Arnold’s set-piece prowess, but it was a big moment for Ryan Gravenberch, who scored his first Premier League goal. He has needed something like that, you feel, and he took his strike expertly.
So did Diogo Jota, and it is hard not to wonder what might have been had the Portugal international been fully fit throughout March and April. I suspect, at the very least, that Liverpool would have won one of those two games against Manchester United.
The other notable thing about Sunday was the strength of Liverpool’s bench. Klopp’s five substitutes were Mohamed Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai, Darwin Nunez, Joe Gomez and Alexis Mac Allister, with Ibrahima Konate and Curtis Jones not even getting on the pitch.
With five tough games to go, starting at Everton on Wednesday, having so many options could well prove crucial.
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