Liverpool may have some major squad issues to resolve over the summer.placeholder image
Liverpool may have some major squad issues to resolve over the summer. | Getty Images
Liverpool might be primed for a minor squad rebuild once again this summer - one star could make a huge difference.
Another summer rebuild might be on the cards for Liverpool as the Reds look to bounce back from a disappointing campaign marred by injuries and hugely inconsistent form under Arne Slot.
The Reds remain in with a good chance of qualifying for the Champions League for next term – and could yet even win this season’s competition – and that will be viewed as a necessity if the club are to attract their top transfer targets.
Despite a £450 million outlay last summer, multiple positions are still in clear need of strengthening by the reigning champions. One of those is evidently at centre-back, as uncertainty over the future of contract rebel Ibrahima Konate continues, while there has been talk of some time over the prospect of finding a successor to Mohamed Salah, whose form is showing little sign of returning to its best this season.
One area of the pitch might appear to have been somewhat overlooked in the transfer market, though – but could be just as important.
Has Liverpool’s need for a midfield rebuild been overlooked?
A major part of Liverpool’s struggles this season has been their lack of control in the midfield, as they have struggled to dominate and steamroller opponents as effectively as in previous seasons and the performance levels of multiple players have dropped.
The most notable of these has been Alexis Mac Allister, who has appeared to be a shadow of his former self at times this season. Ryan Gravenberch has been less of the all-dominating force he was last term, while Curtis Jones has remained a reliable squad player but his long-term future at the club is uncertain amidst a series of recent transfer links.
Jones is not the only Reds midfielder to have been linked with an exit, either – Manchester United have been cited as holding stunning interest in Mac Allister, while rumours have linked Real Madrid with a swoop for star performer Dominik Szoboszlai. The latter two moves might appear unlikely at present, but that does not change the fact that a midfield refresh might be just what the club need.
Sandro Tonali would be dream £100m solution for Reds
Liverpool are one of several Premier League giants to have been linked with Newcastle United midfielder Sandro Tonali in recent weeks, having already made contact with the player’s camp as per TEAMtalk, and the Italian might be the perfect player the Reds need to upgrade their midfield.
A specialist defensive midfielder in a way Gravenberch has never truly been despite his transformation under Slot last season, Tonali is a machine in the middle of the park and could offer Liverpool just the energy and the defensive protection which they have been missing. His arrival could allow Gravenberch and Mac Allister to compete for a more creative role beside him, while there would be more scope for Slot to change formation to a two up front and have Tonali and Gravenberch both sit deep in midfield together.
Liverpool would face significant competition from the likes of Manchester United and Arsenal for Tonali, while there is certainly no love lost between the Merseyside outfit and Newcastle after the Alexander Isak saga last summer. A bid approaching £100 million could change that, though – that is what the Magpies are thought to be demanding for their prize asset – could Liverpool steal a march on their rivals to secure a move for a player who is already set to be one of the most-talked about names of the summer?
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