01 Jun 2021 10:53:50
Hi Everyone,

Just wanted to get my opinion out for the mid field situation see if anyone agrees.

News coming out from liverpool that we won't sign another midfielder and it makes sense to me.

Last season we signed Thiago without any midfielders going out. Last season we won the league and were well stocked in midfield department.

Right now we have 1. Henderson 2. Fabhino 3. Thiago 4. Millner 5. Ox 6. Keita 7. Curtis

We also have shaq who can play in the 4-3-3 and Grujic coming back (who might be sold but can be kept as an option) .

Maximum i would do is sell Keita and replace him but there doesn't seem to be need to get another midfielder if there are no more outgoings in the area.

Best to focus the transfer funds towards a center forward as we need freshing up in that area.

{Ed002's Note - Grujic is being sold. Keita is available. Wijnaldum has gone.}

1.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 12:20:38
I think midfield was as much of a problem as defence last year as the two were interdependent on each other.

I see it like this.

Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago are the first choice as things stand. However each of those players have issues with fitness and injury issues and it’s not inconceivable to think we could have a period where neither Fabinho or Henderson are available to play centre midfield.

In reserve we have:

Milner - he’s 35 turning 36, I think he’s more a 30 minute cameo when closing the game out kind of player than one you can rely upon as a starter now.

Jones - Potentially a very good player, but not the finished article and still needs to work hard on his game and progress.

Keita - Injury prone, rotten attitude, never puts a shift in. Likely to be sold this summer.

Ox - Iniury prone, more of an attacking midfielder than a centre midfielder. May be sold this summer.

Shaqiri - Injury prone, more of an attacking midfielder than a centre midfielder, likely to be sold this summer.

Grujic - Going to be sold this summer.

Essentially, discounting Keita, Shaqiri and Grujic, our back up appears to be Ox, Curtis Jones and Milner, which doesn’t really inspire confidence here.

2.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 13:03:41
Good analysis of our current midfield options, VVVV. In addition to the injuries that Hendo, Fab and Thiago may be prone too, we also have to consider that both Hendo and Thiago are in their 30s now.

Before we look at the market, there are 4 players in the Academy that I have heard good things of during the season who are midfielders (of different flavours, some attacking, some defensive etc) who could provide some support during the year - Clarkson, Frauendorf, Balagazi and Musialowski. Of them, Clarkson and Balagazi appear to be CMs, and the other two are more AMs. I certainly wouldn't consider them to be bodies we could rely on for a long run of games, but I would hope that they could cover 0.5-1 midfield role, should they be required, during the season. Otherewise, as Ed001 has said, why bother having an academy.

My belief (may be wrong, but I don't think it will be wildly wrong) is that, if we can be realistic with pricing, we would see somewhere around £25-£30m from selling Keita, Shaqiri and Grujic. That should pay for one decent replacement. Probably not Bissouma or Tielemens, as PL experienced players who are highly prized and with decent length contracts remaining will not come cheap. But I think a younger CM with potential could be bought for roughly the same cost as the fees raised from selling the 3 identified.

I still wonder whether their may be any mileage in the Çalhanoğlu rumours? An experienced CM on a free could enable the £25-£30m above to be put towards a c£50m midfielder?

However, I certainly agree that we need 1-2 more CMs, ideally one who can cover Fab as a CDM, to be competitive and covered next year.

3.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 13:07:34
i actually think we need 2 new bodies in here.
These are the 6 i believe will still be with us next season:
Hendo, Thiago, Fab, Milner, Jones, Ox
note: assuming Grujic, Keita, Shaq to be sold

of which, 5 have some degree of fitness issue. Perhaps Elliot can take one of the spots and another kick-ass CM in the mold of Bissouma?

4.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 13:12:43
Wijnaldum leaving is a pain, in my opinion, though Klopp will no doubt see things differently. Given the situation with Ox and Keita, out of the three I just don’t feel Wijnaldum should have been the one to leave. The Eds have already made reference to Keita being a difficult player for whom to identify a buying club, and the same may be true for Ox given his injury record. Wijnaldum, on the other hand, will no doubt have a line of clubs looking to sign him.

5.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 13:26:28
Sign a Bissouma and he is no 4 on your list.

Curtis Jones is no 5. Milner and Ox are 6 and 7 and sell Keita.

6.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 13:59:17
Bissouma or Neves for me, I think Tielemans will come with a very high price that we can’t match whereas Bissouma and Neves are both in the 35-40m range and can both play at number 6 or number 8 easily.

{Ed002's Note - Liverpool has no interest in Neves.}

7.) 01 Jun 2021
01 Jun 2021 19:45:03
Not sure we are interested in Tielemans either, IMO.