Liverpool may have spent big in recent transfer windows, but former Reds striker Emile Heskey believes teenager Trey Nyoni can solve the club's holding midfielder problem
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 20: Liverpool's Alexis Mac Allister celebrates scoring his side's third goal with team-mate Trey Nyoni during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 match between Liverpool FC and Villarreal CF at Anfield on October 20, 2026 in Liverpool, United Kingdom. (Photo by Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Alexis Mac Allister and Trey Nyoni increasingly look to be Liverpool's best midfield partnership(Image: Richard Martin-Roberts - CameraSport via Getty Images)
Liverpool may have spent upwards of $133 million on three separate occasions over the past two summers, but the Reds won't need to mirror rivals Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur by parting with a nine-figure sum for a new midfielder.
That's according to former Reds striker Emile Heskey, who believes his old club already possess the answer to their No. 6 dilemma within their existing squad.
Securing the right player for such a crucial position doesn't come cheaply. Man City paid $155 million to bring in Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest this summer, while Tottenham struck a $133 million agreement with Newcastle United for Sandro Tonali.
Liverpool opted instead to strengthen its attacking arsenal further with the $164 million acquisition of Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, following the $167 million and $155 million signings of Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz respectively 12 months prior.
However, doubts have emerged about whether new Reds manager Andoni Iraola possesses the correct midfield balance, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister all more naturally suited to advanced positions, reports the Liverpool Echo.
Heskey, though, reckons emerging talent Trey Nyoni can claim that role as his own and consequently liberate two of his more offensively-minded colleagues. "Can Trey Nyoni save Liverpool £100m in the transfer market by filling the place of the holding midfielder they'd otherwise need to sign? 100%," said the former England striker, who netted 60 goals in 223 appearances for Liverpool during the early 2000s.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 28: Ryan Gravenberch of Liverpool during the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Liverpool and Chelsea at Anfield on October 28, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
Ryan Gravenberch has yet to hit top form under new Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola(Image: Jacques Feeney/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
"You've got to remember, too, he's only 19, so he can keep doing this for the next 10 years. A lot of fans and a lot of pundits have been looking at Liverpool and saying they haven't really got anyone who can punch a ball through and keep it moving but now we're seeing that that's what Trey does, and he does it well.
"He's only slight, so we're not really looking at his stature and thinking he will be winning possession back at this moment in time but he's doing well with the ball, and what he produces for Liverpool in that role has been outstanding.
"It allows Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch to play further forward, and that's probably where you get the best out of them, and they can help Trey by covering the ground and winning back the ball more aggressively than he can.
"If they can play in these higher positions, with Trey sitting back, it could give Liverpool a new lease of life because Gravenberch was only playing that role himself out of necessity. He's not a holding midfielder. He only played there because Liverpool didn't have anyone else.
"Now he can play further forward and we'll start to see what he's really about as a midfielder too."
Liverpool returns to Premier League action today (Sunday) against a struggling Crystal Palace side (2pm kick-off), making the trip to Selhurst Park on the back of consecutive defeats for the first time under Iraola.