Liverpool took their time to address supporters' cries for a new midfielder this summer, making a deadline day loan swoop for Arthur Melo of Juventus.
Even then, this was not a name fans were expecting to see arrive at Anfield after a slow start to the new season which exposed the team's shortcomings in this department on multiple occasions. Injuries to key personnel certainly have not helped in this area of the pitch, though there remains a shared belief that the Reds must prioritise strengthening on their current options during next year's summer window.
Jude Bellingham is the obvious name that continues to be mentioned with a move to Merseyside, with Real Madrid's Marco Asensio another individual who has been repeatedly linked with Liverpool in recent months.
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The 26-year-old has earned only seven minutes of La Liga action so far this term and is clearly a player not part of Carlo Ancelotti's long-term plans at the Bernabeu. Out of contract in the summer, Los Blancos may well have missed out on their opportunity to recoup a sizeable fee for the Spaniard but
A latest report from Calciomercato has suggested Asensio has three possible escape routes awaiting him in January, with AC Milan, Arsenal and Liverpool listed as possible destinations for the player. Spanish outlet Sport have also weighed in on the current situation facing the three-time Champions League winner, claiming he has been left 'without a place' in the team and that is unlikely to change any time soon.
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