18 Apr 2022 14:31:58
Hello Ed 02. You mentioned Liverpool had a look at Renato Sanches before, had that interest gone or he is still under consideration in the coming window?
{Ed002's Note - I expect Liverpool interest to have gone.}
18 Apr 2022 16:26:14
Thank you for the reply. But do you know of any new midfield targets?
{Ed002's Note - none beyond those I have mentioned in the last month or two.}
18 Apr 2022 18:19:28
That’s a relief Ed. Can’t help but think it would be throwing good money away.
18 Apr 2022 20:18:50
Can anyone be a good sport and point me in the direction of the two edoo2 said hve used the search function?, it’s Vitinha I think and no clue on the other?
18 Apr 2022 22:16:16
Wasn’t it Carvalho and Bowen? I might be wrong though.
18 Apr 2022 23:52:00
Carvalho and Bowen aren’t centre midfielders like Sanches, they’re who we have looked at as attacking players.
19 Apr 2022 01:21:37
Yeah, thought that but there was a discussion aboUt Carvalho playing midfield for Fulham this season and I thought I’d seen his name and Bowen’s in a discussion about likely targets after we got Luis six months early.
19 Apr 2022 03:53:59
The two targets mentioned were Vitinha and Otavio.
28th March 2022. {Ed002's Note - Obviously both Gallagher and Bellingham would be very good additions but Liverpool won't be signing either this summer. As I have said before, I think something can be done with Fabio Carvalho as long as the club don't try to low-ball Fulham. Youri Tielemans is available, has been scouted and would be a good signing - but there is interest from elsewhere. I would hope that Klopp is persuaded to drop his interest in Renato Sanches. Bissouma would be a very good signing but interest may have moved on. But if you want my opinion, there is ex Manchester City youngster, Seko Fofana, who plays for Lens who is attracting the attention from elsewhere. I am told by someone from one of the interested clubs that they think he will only get better - and he has the knack of scoring goals. But Liverpool has no interest as far as I know. }.
19 Apr 2022 12:36:55
Thanks ArAy.
19 Apr 2022 13:08:20
I don’t see the fuss with Tielemans, the odd goal aside, he doesn’t work hard enough, is quite sloppy in possession and his defensive game is pretty non existent.
19 Apr 2022 14:10:11
NathLFC, from what I can tell, it seems Liverpool is flirting with the idea of adding a midfielder, but isn't 100% committed to doing so. They likely need to see how things play out with some of our current players.
With that said, currently, it seems we have a primary interest in Tielemans, and possibly Otavio from Porto. Not interest in adding both, but one or the other. Bissouma does not seem to be on our current list of desired players despite being a great fit for the squad.
I may be off the mark, but I try to follow Ed's notes closely and compare them to rumors that are floating around elsewhere. It's been a really effective way to vet what is going around the rumor mill.
19 Apr 2022 14:41:07
I think the midfield is fine. Fabs is great and Thiago is coming into top form. Hendo still has something to give and if Keita keeps up his current form and tidied up those moments of loose play that still exist he can be an asset. Add in Jones, Elliot and Carvalho with Morton behind them and I don’t see why we would need a new midfielder. TBH I don’t really see any weak area of the team currently, RB cover aside but we have Bradley there if Gomez and Williams leave. Now is the time to continuously plan for the future and bring in players to eventually take the place of our established starters as we have begun doing with Diaz, Jota and Konate.
19 Apr 2022 15:33:13
Westwood666 - I'd argue we're missing a player with athleticism and speed in our midfield mix. Thiago, Hendo and Keita all give us options but we really need a Bissouma/ Tchouameni type to avoid games like Brentford, Chelsea and West Ham away happening.
19 Apr 2022 17:26:44
A modern day yaya toure would suit us just fine a player that can boss the midfield and get forward and defend not a clue who that is but that’s the type of player our midfield needs .
But pretty sure every midfield in the world could do with 1 of them.
20 Apr 2022 00:19:58
Think we definitely need to bring in a midfielder. Henderson is showing signs age may be catching up to him, Fabinho class, Thiago class but frequent injuries, Naby seems to have turned a corner but again frequent injuries, Ox struggling and seems to be off, Milner way past his best, Jones and Elliott not quite at the level yet and Morton a long way from ready.
I see Carvalho coming in as a long-term false nine Bobby replacement and providing versatile cover in the short-term. With Milner and ox likely off think there’s space for a younger yet ready midfielder to come in.
I’d love Tchouameni but he seems Madrid bound (especially now Harland seems to be heading to City) . Out of the options I’d personally be happy with Vitinha. Looks a real player, just won the midfielder of the month in Portugal for 4th month running so must be doing something right. Still young and technically very good. Loan spell at wolves didn’t go well but they were playing horrible football under nuno and he was being used completely out of position as part of the front three. More of a Thiago type (not quite there yet mind, but no one is)
20 Apr 2022 09:11:29
Otavio is 27, last chance for Porto to cash in, could be a deadline staring contest kind of deal. Intrigued by Vitinha, right age, spend time with the wolves, so acclimation should be easier, we have a portugese speaking contingent to help with that too. Liverpool have done well with players that have played for english clubs before.
I still think Klopp will go for a ball carrying type of midfielder, he went after OX, Keita, Shaqiri, none had the long term impact Klopp has craved. None of the Otavio, Vitinha, Bissouma have that skill. I think it's why the Renato Sanches rumors persist. Curious if Eds could give us couple names of central midfielders that exel in taking the ball in deeper positions, turning, possibly making a defender miss, running at the defense, making it collapse and slipping a thru ball to an attacker. I understand that in today's game, those types of players are not very common.
21 Apr 2022 05:58:54
I think you are right that Klopp is after a player who can slip the tackle and promote the ball forward from midfield but from what i understand I think Klopp is grooming jones to be that player.