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Liverpool suffered for a large chunk of last season with injuries that disrupted the defence of their Premier League crown. The team eventually limped to fourth place and Champions League qualification. The team are expected to invest big this time in order to regain their superiority in the Premier League as well as the continent.
Liverpool's primary target: Saul Niguez
Gini Wijnaldum has moved to PSG after a decorated Liverpool career, and the club have identified Spanish midfielder Saul Niguez of Atletico Madrid as a direct replacement for the former's energy and box-to-box ability.
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Atletico Madrid though, would understandably be reluctant to let go of one of the key members of their La Liga-winning team despite Liverpool testing their resolve with a 40 million Euro bid. However, as reported by Fabrizio Romano, Saul increasingly looks to be included as a part of the deal that would see Antoine Griezmann return to Atletico Madrid, with him moving to Barcelona. This article will look at 4 potential alternatives should Liverpool be denied their main target this transfer window.
5.Houssem Aouar, Lyon
22-year-old Aouar has been a stand-out performer in the French Ligue 1, and has stepped up to shine on the UEFA Champions League by playing a key role in knocking out both Manchester City and Juventus in the last two seasons. At first glance, his playing style and comfort on the ball mirrors a more attacking midfielder offering a creative outlet whilst bursting into the half spaces.
For a player playing in the "number 8" role, he has an outstanding goal return much like Gini Wijnaldum with seven goals last season. Primarily an attacking player, Aouar may uniquely complement Liverpool's current crop of holding midfielders, with the likes of Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Naby Keita more accustomed to the physical side of the game. With Liverpool struggling against "smaller teams" all throughout last season, a player like Aouar could be trusted to break down play and present a threat from long range.
4.Yves Bissouma, Brighton and Hove Albion
Premier League fans who have seen Brighton and Hove Albion play on a regular basis are fully aware of the immense talent and maturity Yves Bissouma possesses.The 24-year-old Malian footballer is a classic holding midfield player trusted to break up play and organize attacks from deep.
A key aspect of his game, something that Jurgen Klopp demands in his players, is his tireless energy. He consistently clocks the highest ditances in games,
With the likes of Pep Guardiola a keen admirer, Bissouma proved his technical ability in a positive Brighton and Hove Albion side under Graham Potter, making deceptively simple passes and circulating the ball whilst playing out from the back this season at Brighton. He also averaged almost 2.9 tackles and 1.8 interceptions per game. He has proved time and again in battles against the "Big Six" that he is more than ready to make a jump to some of Europe's best sides, much like Wijnaldum himself did in his move from Newcastle United to Liverpool.
3. Youri Tielemans, Leicester City
Youri Tielemans.
The Belgian has had an outstanding season at Leicester City, made memorable by one of the FA Cup final's greatest long range goals, where he evoked a Gerrard-like ability to make a clean strike of a football.
The 24-year-old has for long been recognized as a prodigious talent who is now growing into the role of a midfield general at Brendan Rodgers' Leicester City. He is a key component of the former Liverpool manager's team that employs a cultured short passing style of play.
On the defensive front, he averages 2.3 tackles and 1.3 interceptions per game, proving more than capable of adding discipline to the defensive side of his game. The thought of a Tielemans and Thiago midfield duo taking control of a game would leave many a Liverpool fan salivating, and perhaps most importantly fit into Jurgen Klopp's evolving idea of a possession-based Gegenpressing game.
2. Renato Sanches, Lille
The 24-year-old former Golden boy winner Sanches has enjoyed a recent unexpected career renaissance. An eye-catching Euro 2020 campaign for Portugal was the cherry atop a Ligue 1 winning season with Lille, where they upset heavyweights PSG. His playing style, focused on skilled ball retention, physical strength and stamina, would make him an identical replacement to Gini Wijnaldum.
The big move to Bayern Munich proved to scupper the then 18-year-old's growth, giving rise to concerns as to whether he would ever find his footing at a top club. However, the now experienced Sanches would relish a return to the Premier League to prove his doubters wrong.
1. Nicolo Barella, Inter Milan
Fleet-footed Inter Milan midfielder Nicolo Barella has had an outstanding season for both club and country, playing a key role in winning the Serie A as well as the Euro 2020 crown. Astute at breaking up play, pressing high and dictating the tempo, the all-action box-to-box midfielder is one of world football's premier midfielders.
In a Liverpool team that has the likes of Henderson, Thiago, Fabhino and Naby Keita, Barella could serve as the perfect foil to create space and control football games over a grueling season.
From a technical perspective, Inter Milan's well-documented financial struggles would leave them open to accepting a competitive bid from Liverpool.
