Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)placeholder image
Liverpool boss Arne Slot. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Liverpool need to strengthen in a couple of areas, and an in-demand Premier League star could be a perfect solution.
Midfield is probably the one area of the park where Liverpool fans would suggest is the last that needs to be addressed.
Once Arne Slot moved Florian Wirtz to a role on the left, the Reds looked a lot more solid and harder to beat which has seen their longest unbeaten run of the season. This has only added another problem though which has been a shortage of chances being created at the other end of the park.
There is also the question of balance. There are slight similarities in the players who Slot has at his disposal, but they are all hybrids capable of doing a number of jobs, if not being a master of any.
Liverpool should make Sandro Tonali move
What they lack, if a midfielder is signed, is a playmaker. A player capable of dictating play and of organising the chess pieces in front of him. According to transfer supremo Fabrizio Romano, one of the best in the Premier League could be on the move, although a winter exit from St James’ Park seems unlikely: “Tonali will not leave Newcastle in January,” Romano revealed on his YouTube channel. “Forget about that, it is impossible.
“From Italy there have been stories linking him with a return, especially to Juventus. Juve consider Tonali their dream signing for summer 2026. They already tried behind the scenes in 2025, but it was absolutely impossible with Newcastle. For 2026, Juventus will be there again. At the same time, people close to the player expect top Premier League clubs to arrive and show interest in the summer. It is going to be an interesting window.
“But everything depends on Newcastle. They will control the situation and they will control the price. We saw last summer how tough they were in negotiations with Liverpool for Alexander Isak. It will not be easy, but Juventus and top Premier League clubs will be there because Tonali is one of the best midfielders around.”
As a midfield playmaker, few are better in the Premier League than Tonali, a player who can relieve pressure off the defence, as well as link play with the forward line. Having someone like the Italy international would mean that Wirtz and Salah wouldn’t have to drop deeper to receive the ball or work as hard to cover. The missing piece of the midfield jigsaw
Who could be sold to make way for Tonali?
The obvious player to move out is Harvey Elliot. Currently sitting twiddling his thumbs at Aston Villa having turned down interest from MLS, if his loan deal can be cancelled and a permanent deal secured, getting him off the wage bill to make room for a playmaker.
Another option, despite reports of a possible contract offer, is to sell Alexis Mac Allister. Out of the midfielders available, he is the one who doesn’t have the strongest assets.
Curtis Jones never gives the ball away, Dominik Szoboszlai is the best goalscorer from deep and Ryan Gravenberch is the most press-resistant and capable of carrying the ball forward.
Mac Allister is neither a dribbler, an emphatic or dominant ball winner, a pass master or a goalscorer. Swapping Mac Allister makes a lot of sense whether it is selling him or maybe even considering offering him as part-exchange for Sandro. A workman never blames their tools, but Slot has been working with a bag of spanners, when he could do with a couple of screwdrivers too.
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