Liverpool need new parts again. It’s disappointing to see them move away from the smooth sailing that has benefited them so much under Jurgen Klopp, but this team has the ability to bounce back.
Arne Slott was once seen as a master tactician who defied logic and ran into the dugout, but how was it that this relatively unknown Dutch manager was able to replace the great Klopp? – He is currently in a bind, unable to find solutions to Liverpool’s many problems and unable to make good use of his big-money contract.
Liverpool have struggled to sort things out this season, but Slott will point to the Premier League title they won last season, as well as the fact that they are on track to qualify for the Champions League, as evidence of his ability to take the club forward.
However, there is no doubt that this team is unbalanced and unstable. Various summer signatures are needed, especially in the middle of the park.
Why Liverpool need to sign a midfielder
Alexis Mac Allister’s days in a Liverpool shirt are over. The Argentine player’s departure was surprising. Gone is a strong, all-action talent who played a key role in his country’s victory at the Qatar World Cup and enjoyed several title-winning seasons at Anfield.
Alexis Mac Allister quits Premier League | ||
|---|---|---|
Statistics (* per 90) | 24/25 | 25/26 |
Match (start) | 35(30) | 31(26) |
Goal + Assist | 5+5 | 2+2 |
touch* | 55.8 | 49.5 |
Exact path* | 35.5 (87%) | 32.6 (86%) |
A big opportunity has arisen | 6 | 2 |
Key pass* | 1.3 | 0.8 |
Loss of ownership* | 9.3 | 8.0 |
Successful. dribble* | 0.5 (43%) | 0.3 (38%) |
Ball recovery rate* | 4.2 | 3.0 |
Tackle + Interception* | 3.3 | 2.0 |
clearance* | 0.8 | 0.9 |
Win a duel* | 4.9 (48%) | 3.0 (45%) |
The 27-year-old has been at the epicenter of the team’s problems this season and it may be too risky to give him another chance next season. Paul Joyce of the Times has already hinted that he may resign.
Instead, Liverpool could make a move to cash in on Adam Wharton. According to Reds correspondent David Lynch, FSG have featured a number of midfield targets, but it is the Crystal Palace star who has emerged as a top target.
Wharton, who is worth £70m, has already been the subject of discussions with Lynch, with Liverpool saying they have been “in close contact with his representatives since his breakthrough at Blackburn”. FSG could have a golden opportunity now that Oliver Glasner left Palace this summer.
However, the 23-year-old is wanted, with Real Madrid and Manchester United also interested.
Why Wharton is an upgrade to Liverpool’s Mac Allister
Wharton helped grow Glasner’s Crystal Palace project and became one of Europe’s most sought-after midfielders.
Last season he won the FA Cup. The Eagles currently have one foot in the Conference League final, but the England international has stormed into the journey, with analyst Ben Mattinson hailing Ball as having a “cheat code”.
Look at it this way. Liverpool’s colorless midfield has struggled to realize Slott’s vision. Mac Allister has fallen into a shell of his former self and has lost his vitality and vitality. Ryan Gravenbirch, on the other hand, has not functioned as a No. 6, mainly because the player next to him has gone down.
Wharton will solve this for you. In this season’s Premier League, he has assisted 5 goals, created 14 big chances, and had a pass success rate of 78%, but he has struggled with accuracy due to the ambitious nature of his through passes.
Additionally, the rising star wins an average of 4.2 duels and makes two tackles in each game, underscoring his roundness.
Mac Allister hasn’t been able to utilize that quality this season and Liverpool have struggled because of it. This central switch must be realized, as new campaigns cannot be penetrated.
The real question is whether Wharton will bring the punch and physicality to revolutionize Liverpool’s struggling midfield. He is a professional passer and the closest thing to the Spanish maestro in Thomas Tuchel’s Three Lions team, but he is not particularly combative.
But he could sit deep alongside a strong runner like Dominik Szoboszlai, allowing Grabenbirch to play a broader role in the system in the slot.
Analyst Raj Chauhan might say it best: “Wharton improves the team 10 times more than six tacklers do.” His ball-playing expertise is something Liverpool lack in the center of the pitch.
Either way, this is a deal that Liverpool need to get done. Wharton is a game-changer and exactly what Liverpool need in their creative build-up.
He’s Szoboszlai 2.0: FSG seriously want to sign Premier League star to Liverpool for £90m
Liverpool need to add some physicality after such weak performances all season.
