LEICESTER, ENGLAND – MAY 15: Jurgen Klopp manager of Liverpool celerbrates at the end of the Premier League match between Leicester City and Liverpool FC at The King Power Stadium on May 15, 2023 in Leicester, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill/Getty Images)
Liverpool’s weakest spot in the last campaign was their midfield, and the Reds will need to fix the problem in this transfer window if they want to make any progress in the next campaign.
The Reds nearly won a quadruple in the 2021/2022 season, and fans had been expecting to see one of the best Liverpool sides in the following season.
However, Jurgen Klopp’s men started the season poorly, and it was the theme of their year for much of the campaign, which ended with no Champions League football.
Most football fans were shocked that Liverpool could not make the top four at the end of last season, and they now have their work cut out in returning there.
This is because Newcastle United, Arsenal and Manchester United, who are now in the top four, deserve to be there.
They will all strengthen their group when the transfer window gets serious, knowing that they will only remain in the top four if they continue to perform to high standards.
This leaves Liverpool with an equally tough task, but the Reds look decent in defence and attack, which means the position they need to work on is their midfield.
Klopp has admitted he would spend this summer on the phone trying to convince targets to join his team for the next campaign, and it would be interesting to see the midfielders they can convince to move to Anfield.
Some reports have linked them to players in the Premier League, but these players might be too expensive for them to sign. In this article, we suggest some midfielders who are outside England that they can add to their squad successfully.
Davide Frattesi, Sassuolo
Frattesi has emerged as one of the finest midfielders in Italian football and has been targeted by the likes of AS Roma and Juventus ahead of the next campaign.
This shows the big boys in the Italian league know about his talents, and they will not show interest in just about any player.
Frattesi is now a leader at Sassuolo after coming through the ranks at the home of the Black and Greens, but they could tell that he might leave them before next season.
His best attribute is being able to dictate play close to the opponents’ goal and providing that killer pass Liverpool has missed from their midfield.
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic, Lazio
Sergej Milinkovic-Savic is probably the most sought-after midfielder in Serie A now, as he has just a season left on his contract at Lazio.
They seem to know he is leaving and are now looking for the club that would pay the most money for the Serbian.
If Liverpool wants SMS, they must act fast because he is wanted by top clubs around Europe, including Arsenal and Newcastle United, who will offer him Champions League football.
SMS has almost singlehandedly helped Lazio to qualify for the Champions League again after scoring nine goals and providing eight assists in his first 35 games of the season.
These numbers are incredible and would help Liverpool a lot if he had them in the Premier League. Adding him to their squad means they will get a goalscoring midfielder that could come close to Steven Gerrard.
Lovro Majer, Rennes
Majer is considered by some as the heir to Luka Modric in Croatia, which just shows how incredibly talented he is.
He is still just 25, meaning Liverpool will be signing capable legs for their midfielder who could give up to five years of his peak to them.
Rennes knows clubs are eyeing him, with Arsenal credited with a serious interest in his signature as he continues to develop well.
Liverpool has a huge budget for midfielders, and Majer will cost less than some of their targets, especially those in the Premier League.
Adrien Rabiot, Juventus
Rabiot will leave Juventus as a free agent at the end of this Italian season, which saddens the Italians because this has been his best season on their books.
The Frenchman was almost sold in the summer to Manchester United, but his performance in this campaign meant Juve had a change of heart and is now looking to keep him.
But because they will not play in the Champions League, Rabiot is leaving, and he would be a superb signing for Liverpool.
He is another goalscoring midfielder on this list, having netted eight goals and provided four assists for Juventus in the league alone in this campaign.
He is 28 now and will come to Anfield with a bag full of experience that could lead them to win the league.
Martin Zubimendi, Real sociedad
Real Sociedad has secured a return to the Champions League for next season, and one of the players who helped them achieve this is Zubimendi, little wonder he has been linked with a move to Arsenal and Barcelona.
The 24-year-old says he is content with remaining at Sociedad for now, but Liverpool will feel they can make him move to Anfield and work with Klopp.
Zubimendi has been so good that he gets a rating of above 7/10 from soccer24 in most of his matches for his present employers.
Liverpool needs a player who can pull the strings, and there are only a few as good as Zubimendi, who has been compared to Sergio Busquets.
However, he would need to be convinced before he changes clubs, as he insists he is happy where he is now.
Stanislas Lobotka, Napoli
Kvaratskhelia Khvicha and Victor Osimhen have earned all the plaudits for Napoli, ending their three-decade wait for a new league title.
However, one of the unsung heroes of that team is Lobotka. The Slovakian is one of the finest midfielders in Serie A and played in all their first 37 league matches as they won the title.
Because he doesn’t score often, it seems he is not making an impact, but without him in that midfield, Napoli’s attack will struggle.
He is a player who can deliver match-winning balls to all the attackers Liverpool have in their squad now.
He has the experience, and his ever-present status this season suggests he has a good fitness record, unlike several players at Anfield now.
Ryan Gravenberch, Bayer Munich
Gravenberch was expected to be one of the starters at Bayern Munich when he first moved to Bavaria at the end of the 2021/2022 season, but he struggled to play in the last German league year.
This offers Liverpool a chance to convince him to join them before the next campaign starts. The Dutchman was compared to the peak Paul Pogba when he first broke onto the scene at Ajax.
His move to Germany has not worked, and Liverpool could take advantage of this to add him to their squad for a fee, but Bayern will fight to keep him, so the Reds might be forced to overpay.
Hakan Calhanoglu, Inter Milan
Fans would want only to buy Liverpool tickets on Seatsnet if they are assured they will be thrilled, and this can only be provided by players who can make magic happen.
This describes Inter Milan midfielder Calhanoglu. The Turkiye international crossed from city rivals AC Milan and he is one reason Inter is in the Champions League final now, where they will meet Manchester City.
It would be hard for Liverpool to lure him from the city of Milan, but if they can add him to their squad, they could easily win the league again next season.
