Liverpool are heading into the 2023/24 season with eight senior midfielders as things stand.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have already joined the Reds this summer as part of a long-awaited midfield revamp, and will be complemented by Fabinho, Thiago Alcantara, Jordan Henderson, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Stefan Bajcetic.
Such a total is admittedly down on last year, when Jurgen Klopp called upon the services of 11 different senior midfielders, though that figure rises to 15 if we wish to include Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cody Gakpo, Roberto Firmino and youngster Bobby Clark.
Admittedly, Alexander-Arnold, Gakpo, Clark, as well as Tyler Morton, fresh off the back of a season-long loan at Blackburn Rovers, can bolster the senior quota further again. But all being well, the aforementioned octet will provide strength in depth for the three traditional midfield berths.
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It remains to be seen if Liverpool will attempt to sign a third midfielder this summer, having ended interest in the likes of Gabri Veiga. Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, more so than Nice's Khephren Thuram, is currently believed to be the Reds’ favoured target, but, despite interest, no move is forthcoming as things stand, with club bosses currently taking stock after signing Szoboszlai.
Liverpool have waved off James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain at the end of their contracts this summer, with Juventus loanee Arthur Melo returning to Juventus after the Reds unsurprisingly decided against signing him permanently. Meanwhile, Fabio Carvalho has signed for RB Leipzig on loan for the season to deplete the ranks further.
But while Milner made 43 appearances in all competitions, only 10 came from the start in the Premier League and Champions League. Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain would be limited to 13 appearances each because of injury, registering just three and four starts in the English top-flight.
Only five of Carvalho’s 21 appearances came from the start in the Premier League and Champions League, and he only accumulated nine minutes in total in either competition in 2023. And Arthur never managed more than a 13-minute substitute appearance on his debut against Napoli in September.
While a quintet of exits, excluding the 37-year-old Milner, their impact on Liverpool’s campaign was minimal. As a result, while the Reds boast three less out-and-out options, they will be hopeful of no longer ‘carrying bodies’ in the season ahead.
There could still be outgoings, of course, with Thiago the subject of reported interest from Saudi Arabia and Turkey, and Henderson also finding himself linked with a switch to the Gulf State following Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard’s appointment as manager of Al-Ettifaq. Fabinho has also been linked with Al-Ittihad and a reunion with Nuno Espirito Santo, who previously signed him for Rio Ave when the Brazilian first moved to Europe in 2012, but as things stand, an exit for any of the trio is not on the cards.
If any were to move on, they would need to be replaced though, while it’s still possible that the Reds decide to push on for a third midfield signing regardless later in the window. With Lavia having his admirers at Anfield, there has been plenty of speculation that Liverpool are poised to sign the Belgium international following the signing of Szoboszlai, but such talk is wide of the mark as things stand.
Lavia, who has a £40m buy-back clause in his Saints contract that former club Manchester City can activate next summer, could still prove to be the subject of the Reds’ desires, but it is logical for them to take stock, having already brought in two midfielders, as things stand. Alternatively, as the sudden signing of Szoboszlai proved against public interest in the likes of Thuram, a further curveball arrival could also still arise.
Regarding Lavia, The Athletic have reported that Liverpool bosses consider the reported £50m asking-price to be too high for a teenager who has only made 17 more senior appearances in his career than Bajcetic. Yet, with Southampton at risk of losing him for £40m next summer anyway, the recently-relegated side’s demands could decrease in the weeks ahead.
And if the Reds do decide to push ahead with a move for the 19-year-old, there is a way they could negotiate a cheaper fee for Lavia.
Morton is set to get pre-season to catch Klopp’s eye following his return from a season-long loan at Blackburn, where the 20-year-old made 46 appearances. But considering Liverpool’s midfield revamp, he has his work cut out to force his way into the German’s first-team squad this season.
As a result, another loan away from Anfield could be on the cards. And with Southampton in need of a new midfielder if they lose Lavia’s services, Morton moving the other way could help sweeten the deal for the promotion hopefuls and lower the price for the Reds. After all, while not an out-and-out number six despite predominately playing there under Klopp, Morton is still a proven Championship midfielder at this point as the Saints look to secure an immediate return to the Premier League.
While there is no suggestion of such an offer being mooted at this time, Liverpool have recently turned to the South Coast side in order to obtain more game-time for a fringe player, having loaned them Takumi Minamino back in January 2021. Meanwhile, Southampton have already entertained a player exchange regarding a different outgoing this summer following interest in right-back Tino Livramento.
Attracting glances from both Newcastle United and Chelsea, the former have reportedly had a number of bids rejected so far. Yet The Chronicle report that the Magpies are confident a deal can still be done, despite remaining £10m apart in their valuations, with Ryan Fraser set to move the other way to St. Mary's as part of any move.
Southampton had been interested in signing the Scotland international back in January, only for a switch to fail to materialise despite Fraser’s interest in moving back down south.
If the Saints were interested in accepting Fraser in part-exchange for Livramento, could the same happen for Lavia and Morton? From the Liverpool midfielder’s point of view at least, another Championship loan to a side chasing promotion is arguably his next step.
In need of starting football, Morton is likely to depart Anfield this summer regardless. And while it is undecided if the Reds will step up initial interest in Lavia this summer, if they do decide they are in need of a third midfield signing, a part-exchange would be one way to make everybody happy.
