Liverpool has some big midfield decisions to make this summer with Jordan Henderson and Fabinho potentially adding to Jürgen Klopp and Jörg Schmadtke’s list.
Imagine for a second that you could draw up an ideal Liverpool midfield scenario at the end of this summer, with a blank canvas to play with. Financial constraints come into the equation, but with so many midfield options having already left Anfield — and perhaps a couple more to go — that is not far off being the position that Jürgen Klopp and Jörg Schmadtke find themselves in.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both arrived but if Liverpool were to lose Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, in addition to James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta and Arthur Melo, that would be a monumental transition
Then there is speculation surrounding a possible exit for Thiago Alcântara (via Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri), Curtis Jones missed more of last season than he played in, Stefan Bajčetić is only 18 and had a season-ending injury, and Tyler Morton has just returned from a season-long loan with Blackburn.
That is as close to a midfield department being burned down to the ground and rebuilt from scratch as you can get. While in some respects, the move would be exciting, in others it would leave plenty of room for fears that it represented too much all at once.
From this point, though, what does Liverpool need? It depends almost entirely on the decisions of Henderson and Fabinho, with what comes next impossible to predict.
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Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo.
Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo. (Image: Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Imagine for a second that you could draw up an ideal Liverpool midfield scenario at the end of this summer, with a blank canvas to play with. Financial constraints come into the equation, but with so many midfield options having already left Anfield — and perhaps a couple more to go — that is not far off being the position that Jürgen Klopp and Jörg Schmadtke find themselves in.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both arrived but if Liverpool were to lose Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, in addition to James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta and Arthur Melo, that would be a monumental transition.
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Then there is speculation surrounding a possible exit for Thiago Alcântara (via Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri), Curtis Jones missed more of last season than he played in, Stefan Bajčetić is only 18 and had a season-ending injury, and Tyler Morton has just returned from a season-long loan with Blackburn.
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READ MORE: Liverpool still transfer king as Neymar chase could prove Jürgen Klopp right about Chelsea again
READ MORE: Liverpool can build dream squad without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho amid $151m transfer truth
That is as close to a midfield department being burned down to the ground and rebuilt from scratch as you can get. While in some respects, the move would be exciting, in others it would leave plenty of room for fears that it represented too much all at once.
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From this point, though, what does Liverpool need? It depends almost entirely on the decisions of Henderson and Fabinho, with what comes next impossible to predict.
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If even just one of the pair was to go, Liverpool would need to sign an experienced replacement. Bringing in the 19-year-old former Manchester City man Roméo Lavia, for example, would be a gamble to succeed someone of that caliber straight away.
If both were to leave, that would leave a big gap to fill in one summer, especially when Liverpool has already lost its vice-captain in Milner. Around the dressing room, leadership is vital.
For that reason — and also because The Athletic reports that Al-Ittihad would pay an inflated fee of $52m (£40m/€47m) for the 29-year-old Brazilian — the ideal scenario would be to cash in on Fabinho but keep Henderson.
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From this point, though, what does Liverpool need? It depends almost entirely on the decisions of Henderson and Fabinho, with what comes next impossible to predict.
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Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo.
Brighton midfielder Moisés Caicedo. (Image: Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
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Imagine for a second that you could draw up an ideal Liverpool midfield scenario at the end of this summer, with a blank canvas to play with. Financial constraints come into the equation, but with so many midfield options having already left Anfield — and perhaps a couple more to go — that is not far off being the position that Jürgen Klopp and Jörg Schmadtke find themselves in.
Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have both arrived but if Liverpool were to lose Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, in addition to James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta and Arthur Melo, that would be a monumental transition.
Who is the real Jesus who set foot on our planet and claimed to be God?
Y-Jesus.com
by TaboolaSponsored Links
Then there is speculation surrounding a possible exit for Thiago Alcântara (via Belgian journalist Sacha Tavolieri), Curtis Jones missed more of last season than he played in, Stefan Bajčetić is only 18 and had a season-ending injury, and Tyler Morton has just returned from a season-long loan with Blackburn.
Sponsored Link by Taboola
HIV Treatment Cost Might Be Cheaper Than You Think
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READ MORE: Liverpool still transfer king as Neymar chase could prove Jürgen Klopp right about Chelsea again
READ MORE: Liverpool can build dream squad without Jordan Henderson and Fabinho amid $151m transfer truth
That is as close to a midfield department being burned down to the ground and rebuilt from scratch as you can get. While in some respects, the move would be exciting, in others it would leave plenty of room for fears that it represented too much all at once.
Sponsored Link by Taboola
How to get a job in the USA as a foreigner
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From this point, though, what does Liverpool need? It depends almost entirely on the decisions of Henderson and Fabinho, with what comes next impossible to predict.
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bet9ja.com
by TaboolaSponsored Links
If even just one of the pair was to go, Liverpool would need to sign an experienced replacement. Bringing in the 19-year-old former Manchester City man Roméo Lavia, for example, would be a gamble to succeed someone of that caliber straight away.
If both were to leave, that would leave a big gap to fill in one summer, especially when Liverpool has already lost its vice-captain in Milner. Around the dressing room, leadership is vital.
For that reason — and also because The Athletic reports that Al-Ittihad would pay an inflated fee of $52m (£40m/€47m) for the 29-year-old Brazilian — the ideal scenario would be to cash in on Fabinho but keep Henderson.
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Liverpool is unlikely to get an offer of $52m-plus for Fabinho in the future, so taking that now could add up from an economic perspective — but only if there is a suitable replacement available and attainable for a within-budget fee.
From here, the ideal scenario would be that an elite option became available. That could be Moisés Caicedo (who talkSPORT report could become a possibility if Fabinho leaves) or Aurélien Tchouaméni (who Defensa Central reported this week was a realistic option for the Reds as Real Madrid seeks to find enough money to sign Kylian Mbappé). Liverpool could potentially use the funds Fabinho generates to snap one of them up.
Caicedo or Tchouaméni would cost at least double what Fabinho could be sold for, each with a price tag of around $105m (£80m/€93m). But that way, it would not be left to an inexperienced option to replace those players, while the opportunity to (partially) cash in would also be taken. There are plenty of moving parts and plenty of big decisions to be made, but Liverpool has to get the balance right.
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