Liverpool to make bid for £53m ‘machine’

Liverpool turned a corner at the weekend, beating West Ham United professionally at the London Stadium, ending a shocking slump that derailed Arne Slott’s project.

However, for those of the Red persuasion, it’s important not to get too excited. West Ham are not in the best of form and are teetering on the edge of the Premier League relegation zone.

But after that hard-working win, there were some positives as well. Liverpool in particular showed sharpness in attack, with Alexander Isak scoring his first league goal for the Reds and Kodi Gakpo recording a goal and an assist. Florian Wirtz shined in creative roles.

There was talk of FSG and sporting director Richard Hughes entering the transfer market in January in search of a new forward, but if anything, the win against the Hammers and Liverpool’s disastrous performance highlighted another area for attention.

Liverpool’s winter transfer plans

It’s clear that Liverpool need a centre-back. Intimate sources have also hinted that the Premier League champions are open to prolific Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, whose contract comes with a £65m release clause valid from January.

However, the heart of the park seems to have been overlooked. Admittedly, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenbirch have failed to form a convincing partnership this season, and the tough tackling and dynamic option could be valuable for a Liverpool side looking to bounce back.

According to Catch Offside, Liverpool are expected to make an offer of €60m (£53m at current exchange rates) for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, with the French midfielder no longer considered untouchable at the Santiago Bernabéu.

Los Blancos are said to have held private talks about the 23-year-old’s departure after a few injury-plagued years, but Camavinga is one of the best players in the business and Liverpool could hit the jackpot by signing him for a relatively affordable fee.

Why Liverpool want Eduardo Camavinga

Camavinga spent most of his professional career at Real Madrid, leaving France and Rennes to join the Spanish giants in 2021 in a package worth €40m (about £34m).

He has won in every field and on a personal level has been praised by talent scout Jacek Kulig as “a real fighting machine in the midfield”. One of the harshest criticisms that Slot’s team has faced this season has to do with their lack of physicality and bite in the midfield, with them being the underdogs in most of their losses and a number of them.

Camavinga will correct that and settle in the 6 spot. According to FBref, he ranked in the top 12% of players by position in Europe’s top five leagues over the past year in pass completion rate, top 12% in take-on completion rate, and top 1% in tackles per 90, underscoring his quality of ball play and solid defensive acumen to stabilize slot sinking systems.

Let’s take a look at these and other metrics in a different format to see how Camavinga can add some defensive solidity to his engine room as he evaluates his stats against that of Mac Allister, whose form has plummeted this season.

But these metrics have been reflected throughout the year, and the Argentine was one of the best performers as the Reds raced to the title last year.

Semenyo could be a great addition for a Liverpool side that did not directly choose to replace Luis Dias this summer, but Gakpo has held down the fort quite well, with 17-year-old Rio Ngmoha handed a regular role in the first team after an impressive season.

Real Madrid are in a turbulent situation at the moment, and it’s not often they sign a player of Camavinga’s caliber. Wataru Endo is barely used in the slot, and Grabenbert and Mac Allister need proper competition.

If Liverpool were to inject some French flair into their midfield in the form of Camainga, it would certainly raise the bar and add the joie de vivre that has been lacking this term, as well as a tough tackling presence that would ease the burden on the defense and free up the forwards to reach new heights.