Liverpool is on the verge of securing a $21m deal for Wataru Endo, with Jürgen Klopp’s creative players in desperate need of a defensive-minded midfield addition.
Liverpool has only played one Premier League match so far this term, but in that bout, the Reds showcased exactly what is required from the transfer market ahead of the closure of the window at the end of the month. Jürgen Klopp’s men faced Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and after 90 minutes of competition, the scores ended 1-1.
It was a relatively fair result based on the performances delivered by the two English heavyweights, although Liverpool will certainly hope for better moving forward. Ahead of the clash, Klopp selected an extremely offensive team, with Alexis Mac Allister deployed as a holding midfielder despite his offensive qualities.
The Argentina international was used in the role out of necessity, as Liverpool allowed both Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to move to Saudi Arabia last month. Since their respective departures, the Reds haven’t yet signed a replacement option for the center of the field, having tried and failed to sign both Roméo Lavia — making three bids for him — and Moisés Caicedo, with the duo opting to join Chelsea.
Klopp used Mac Allister as a defensive midfielder, and Cody Gakpo also played in midfield despite initially joining Liverpool as a forward from PSV Eindhoven earlier this year. Dominik Szoboszlai was the third and final player selected to play in the middle, with the Hungarian international also possessing experience as a forward.
In defense, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson both started the game against the Blues, with the two full-back talents known for creating and getting forward, rather than defending and staying back. Only three defenders in Premier League history have registered more than 50 assists in the competition, and two of them started for Klopp over the weekend.
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