Liverpool have routinely been outthought and outfought in the Premier League this season.
Arne Slot's side simply have not had the answers to many of the problems that have come their way since the summer, and too many defensive mistakes have exacerbated their struggles.
Liverpool manager Arne Slot looks on before the match
Though the signing of Jeremy Jacquet in January has proved a step toward defensive stability, he will not join until the summer, and so Slot's side must make do with what they've got for the remainder of the campaign.
However, it does clear space to move for other targets, with a high-profile midfielder emerging as one on FSG's wish list.
Liverpool's leading race for Prem midfielder
Liverpool's midfield have flattered to deceive this season. For sure, Dominik Szoboszlai has been the Anfield side's star man, but those around him have failed to muster even a portion of the same intensity and application.
Alexis Mac Allister, for example, has been abject, with one content creator even claiming he "looks like Fabinho in his final season".
That's how far away from the boil the Argentina star has been. Liverpool cannot allow it to continue, with Mac Allister at the core of slow and stodgy displays.
As per Spanish sources, Liverpool are alongside Arsenal and Manchester United in leading the race for Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali, whose future has been thrown into doubt after his agent sought to land him a move to the Emirates Stadium in the closing stages of the winter transfer window.
Sandro Tonali Newcastle-1
Tonali is valued at £100m, and Real Madrid are also interested. It goes without saying that this will not be an easy deal to pull off, but Tonali would be worth paying for, even if that came to the detriment of Mac Allister's career in Liverpool.
Why Tonali would be perfect for Liverpool
Tonali, 25, is one of the most talented central midfielders in Europe, immense in the middle of the park for Newcastle. His rise at St. James' Park has coincided with the club's ascension to title-winning status, and now he fancies a fresh challenge.
Sandro-Tonali-Newcastle
There will come a point where Mac Allister's continually poor form cannot be allowed to continue. Already there are calls to draw him out of contention for a time.
Something has gone wrong, and maybe Tonali would mark a stunning upgrade to help restore Liverpool's status at the top of the European pyramid.
The problem for Mac Allister is that almost all of his metrics have decreased this season. He is less strong in defensive phases, less certain in his playmaking, less reliable on the ball, controlling and influencing from the heart of the engine room.
Alexis Mac Allister in the Premier League for Slot
Stats (* per game)
Matches (starts)
Goals
Touches*
Accurate passes*
Chances created*
Succ. dribbles*
Ball recoveries*
Tackles + interceptions*
Clearances*
Duels (won)*
Data via Sofascore
Tonali, meanwhile, isn't exactly a player whose brilliance is found in the data, though he has made gains since those early days in a Newcastle shirt. This season, he has completed 60% of his dribbles and won 56% of his ground duels.
Described by pundit Paul Scholes as being "the best midfielder in the Premier League, over Declan Rice" earlier in the campaign, the Italian is certainly someone who could make a marked improvement on Liverpool's midfield fluency.
And while some would contest Tonali being the cream of the division's crop, his performances for Eddie Howe's side over the past several years have been "world-class", according to correspondent Mark Carruthers, and he would add elegance and efficiency to Slot's midfield. "He gets into any Premier League side," the journalist said.
Tonali's energy and tireless work-rate are things to be desired. In this, this season, Mac Allister pales in comparison.
The Italy international is the real deal, and though he's enjoyed success on Tyneside, he is yet to move to a club capable of competing at the very highest rung of the ladder, year-on-year contenders for Premier League and Champions League titles.
Liverpool-Mac-Allister
Mac Allister has enjoyed an iconic journey with Liverpool. If Slot's side succeed in either the FA Cup or Champions League this season, he will have won silverware in each of his three years on Merseyside.
However, he hasn't been good enough for a while, and if Tonali really is going to be on the market this summer, FSG must pounce.
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