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.
