Brittle. That is how Liverpool have felt across the 2025/26 season, brittle and bereft of the ideas and inspiration that shaped Arne Slot's title-winning start.
Last year, Liverpool won the Premier League, and they won it well, a class above their rivals, finishing ten points clear of second-place Arsenal in spite of relaxing standards and intensity toward the later stages of the season.
Now, the Reds are fourth in the table with three games left to play, 18 points behind Mikel Arteta's Gunners. It's been a tough year all right, and Virgil van Dijk bemoaned his team's "unacceptable season", insisting it cannot be repeated.
Virgil-Van-Dijk-Liverpool
That's all well and good, but FSG need to ensure the Anfield side's resurgence by making better signings in the looming summer transfer market.
Liverpool targeting midfield signing
This is a critical juncture for Liverpool, who are unaccustomed to so many misfires from FSG's transfer cannon. Numerous additions are needed, but it's clear that the Reds need a midfielder above all others, with Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch embodying their side's brittleness.
Liverpool need a deep-lying midfielder, and no mistake. Crystal Palace's Adam Wharton appears to be at the top of the shopping list right now, but maybe FSG are barking up the wrong tree there, with another target emerging who could actually prove to be a better signing.
According to Danish outlet Bold, Liverpool are desperate to sign Porto's Victor Froholdt, with the 20-year-old quickly emerging as one of the most exciting young midfielders in Europe.
FC Porto's Victor Froholdt in action
With Arsenal and Newcastle United also keen on the burgeoning midfielder, Liverpool need to make a swift decision, with the player holding a buyout clause in his Porto contract of around £73m.
Should Liverpool complete this deal, they might even be able to forgo their interest in Wharton, as dubious as that one might sound.
Why Froholdt could be a better signing than Wharton
Froholdt is only at the start of his professional career, but he has already established himself as a star in the making, with his robust and active playing style drawing comparisons to Manchester United's Kobbie Mainoo, largely because of his potential as a high-level dueller and ball-carrying specialist from the centre to the edge of the danger area.
victor-froholdt-porto
Analyst Ben Mattinson has hailed the Danish midfielder's "very impressive" start to life in Porto's first team, joining from Copenhagen only last summer. Despite his youth and inexperience, he has featured prominently, starting 31 times in Liga Portugal.
Froholdt is more innately combative than the England international, progressive when on the ball and crisp in the duel. He's not a relentless ball winner, but his physicality and anticipation have earned rave reviews during his first foray onto the major stage with Porto.
While Froholdt is still developing, he could perfectly complement Gravenberch in the centre of the park over the next few years, bringing a Mainoo-esque quality that would allow the Dutchman to focus on his passing and elegance in possession. Froholdt has won 4.7 challenges on average each game in the league this season.
Liverpool desperately need to fix their midfield, far too porous and error-prone. Froholdt is only young, but he has so much potential, and while he's not as creative as Wharton, his all-action midfield presence could pay dividends for Liverpool in the long run, fixing a problem that has threatened to consume Slot and the Anfield side's season.
Liverpool's Premier League Error Count
Season
25/26
24/25
23/24
22/23
21/22
20/21
Froholdt packs a punch, and given his age, he's only going to grow into a stronger and more formidable midfielder over the next few years. Moreover, he has only made one error all year long in Portugal, belying his youth with such confidence on the ball.
Wharton is hardly weak in the middle of the park. He is averaging two tackles per game in the Premier League this season, and he has won 50% of his ground duels.
Alexis Mac Allister and Adam Wharton
However, Froholdt, three years his junior, is quickly developing into an elite midfielder, hailed as "the best player in the Portuguese league this season" by Portuguese football expert Gonçalo Tristão Santos.
He's quickly going from strength to strength. Just imagine where Froholdt could end up after a couple of years with Liverpool, especially when considering his physical style aligns with the profile Slot's side so desperately need.
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Liverpool need to freshen up their midfield following a wretched effort at defending their Premier League title.