Liverpool still needs to complete the roster through transfers even if they have made noticeable progress this season.
After a difficult 2022–2023 season, Liverpool fans are holding onto cautious optimism that the Premier League title can be won this season thanks to Jurgen Klopp’s summer transfer activity.
Upon glancing at the league table, some may exclaim, “Liverpool can definitely contend for the title—we’re only two points behind Arsenal in first place, and our only loss came against Tottenham Hotspur in the most contentious of circumstances.”
That is true, of course, but there is still a lot of work to be done and a lot of football to be played before a more refined league ladder takes shape after just 13 games have been played.
Teams will face a barrage of challenges over the infamous winter season, and Klopp will know how important it is to stay grounded until the new year provides more clarity.
The winter transfer market will open in the new year, and even though Liverpool has performed well lately, it would still be prudent to make an investment to make sure teams like Manchester City and Arsenal don’t catch up.
Transfer news for Liverpool: Douglas Luiz
The man who has been at the center of Unai Emery’s revolution, Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa, appears to be on the radar of all these aforementioned Premier League title contenders.
90min claims that high-flying Villa, who have undoubtedly been one of the standouts in English football this year, are desperate to fend off interest for their Brazilian midfielder from Arsenal, City, and Liverpool.
Pep Guardiola sold the 25-year-old to the Villans in 2019 for £15 million, while Arsenal made three unsuccessful bids in 2022. Liverpool’s interest in the player is less apparent, but the Reds have stated that they will enter the race should Emery’s team change their mind.
Numbers from Douglas Luiz’s season
Luiz has five goals and two assists in just 13 Premier League games; this is an incredible return for a holding midfielder and demonstrates his development into “the complete player,” as Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic has put it.
Goals and assists are obviously not the benchmark of a peak performance for a player in Luiz’s function, but it’s a really cool bonus that he has included a strong attacking intent into his skill set, considering that journalist Sam Tighe once praised his “ridiculous” ability.
According to FBref, the £75k-a-week player is really in the top 9% of midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues for goals, the top 16% for assists, and the top 195 for shots created per 90 minutes over the previous season.
The ten-cap Brazil international has won 59% of his fought duels, completed 89% of his passes in the Premier League, averaged 2.3 tackles and 6.1 ball recoveries, and hasn’t shied away from his defensive responsibilities while trying to contribute to the offense.
Why Douglas Luiz should be signed by Liverpool
If Liverpool’s current season-long run continues, they will undoubtedly challenge for the Premier League title. However, in order to do so, they must recruit a player of Luiz’s caliber in January.
It could be difficult because Villa is aiming to qualify for the Champions League this season and is not required to sell, but Emery and company might agree if Liverpool were to match the rumored £60 million asking price for his signature in order to ward off potential bidders.
This may be the move to really revive the Anfield side’s position of power as one of Europe’s most frightening and fierce outfits – capable of battling for the biggest honors around. Klopp welcomed four midfield arrivals in the summer and has successfully re-energised the ranks.
Fabinho’s summer departure left the Reds with a thrilling new-look engine room, but in order to make up for it, creative sensation Alexis Mac Allister has been used in an unusual deep-lying role.
Given Liverpool’s standing in the Premier League, it’s difficult to dispute that it isn’t working, yet the management of Liverpool must be very motivated to replace the former star player.
Fabinho’s tenure at Liverpool
It was a moving way to end things. After joining Liverpool for £44 million in 2018, Fabinho had been a key member of Klopp’s team for many years, successfully leading the team from the middle of the field.
Under Klopp’s direction, Fabinho recorded 11 goals and 10 assists during 219 games for his team. The 29-cap Brazil international was even named “the best” holding midfielder in the world by Gary Neville in 2019.
The 30-year-old clearly had a down season the previous year, and pundit Jamie Carragher even called him “awful” for his lackluster performances.
Regretfully, it seemed as though he had run out of steam, and his faltering attempts embodied Liverpool’s problems as they collapsed and ended up in fifth place, missing out on playing in the Champions League this season.
Fabinho would have been upset not to finish on a high after playing such a significant role for so long. Nonetheless, he can confidently declare that he was a major player in one of the most remarkable periods in Liverpool’s contemporary history, both physically and figuratively.
It seemed obvious to all parties when Saudi Pro League team Al-Ittihad approached with a £40 million offer in July, and he made the move with the applause of Merseyside’s red-clad sea.Liverpool has survived without him so far, but Mac Allister will go to sleep remembering the glory days when he was playing in his preferred No. 8 position, and a move for Luiz, Fabinho’s countryman, may signal a logical next step in the team’s growth.While Fabinho’s defensive work ethic undoubtedly surpasses that of the Aston Villa great, Luiz is not exactly a carbon copy and is perhaps more complete and sophisticated in the ever-evolving modern game. Nevertheless, he could be the ideal successor at Anfield and have a huge influence.