Last season did not go according to plan for Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool side. A disappointing season led to the Anfield club finishing outside the top four, but the German coach has been busy reshuffling his pack over the summer – with more signings expected. Take a look at how Last Word on Football think the Reds will line up this season.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup 2023/24: New Look £100+ Million Midfield
Midfield Exodus Sparks Reshuffle
There have been several departures from Anfield this summer, with some big names heading out the exit door. The midfield trio of Naby Keita, James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain have all departed, alongside Brazilian playmaker Roberto Firmino.
Club captain Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago Alcantara may also be departing the Reds during this transfer window – leaving Klopp extremely light on midfield options.
This exodus of players in midfield will have forced the German’s hand to a degree. Whilst a rebuild of the Liverpool engine room was always on the cards this summer due to ageing players and contracts running out, the sheer volume of players leaving means the pack will probably be reshuffled a little more heavily than expected.
Watch: How Jurgen Klopp is Rebuilding Liverpool After a Poor Season
Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliot, therefore, could be the only two senior midfielders left on the books from last season when the new campaign kicks off. Both of the young Englishmen are expected to feature more prominently next season, with Jones particularly impressing in the last year’s run in – starting 11 games on the bounce.
Another Red from last season who could feature in a new-look Liverpool midfield is Trent Alexander-Arnold. The England international impressed for Gareth Southgate’s side against Malta and North Macedonia at the end of last season in a central midfield role.
The 24-year-old was also used in Liverpool’s first pre-season game as a number six in the absence of Henderson, Fabinho and Thiago. Alexander-Arnold has certainly given Klopp some food for thought, but it would require the Reds to invest in a new senior right back with limited options currently available.
New Recruits and Prospective Targets
The powers that be at Anfield wasted no time during the early stages of the transfer window, snapping up World Cup winner Alexis Mac Allister from Brighton in a deal worth an initial £35 million – potentially rising to £55 million with additional bonuses.
The young Argentine has the ability to play in a variety of different midfield roles, whether that be as a deep lying playmaker, box-to-box midfielder or as a more creative no.10.
The Reds second signing of the summer came in the form of Hungarian captain Dominik Szoboszlai. The former RB Leipzig midfielder joined for a fee of £54 million and is another attacking and creative option for Klopp to use.
Klopp’s preference to use two attacking no.8’s alongside a more traditional defensive midfielder means both Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will be competing with Jones and Elliot for the roles of creative midfielders.
In terms of filing the role of defensive midfielder, there have been several names floating around. Southampton’s Romeo Lavia is one of those and the Anfield club remain firmly in the race to sign the promising 19-year-old with the club expected to improve on their first bid for the Belgian.
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However, a more experienced head will be required to nurture the influx of young talent coming into Liverpool’s midfield.
Thus far, Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich are two names that have been bandied around, although Goretzka appears to have distanced himself from a move away from Bayern Munich. It could then be his Bayern and German teammate Kimmich who Liverpool may turn to. Kimmich would be an ideal signing for Klopp as the German international not only boasts a wealth of experience but is a serial winner and leader.
The Reds are also looking for a move for Romeo Lavia. Further bids are going in for the youngster, who appears to be more willing to make a move than either of the options from Bayern. Whilst he may be one of the younger options available, he’d undoubtedly add stability to the midfield.
With £105 million already spent, the Reds are likely to spend more on rebuilding their midfield with other areas of the squad still in good order.
Attack and Defence Remain the Same
Despite the departure of Roberto Firmino, Liverpool’s attack is in very good shape. Last season’s acquisitions of Darwin Nunez and Cody Gakpo, alongside a fully fit Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota will join Mo Salah in what looks like a frightening strike force.
In defence, there is likely to be no change to the starting line-up. Virgil van Dijk, Ibrahima Konate, Joel Matip and Joe Gomez will fill the central defensive berths whilst Andrew Robertson and Kostas Tsimikas have the left side covered.
The only potential room for movement is the right-back slot. Should Alexander-Arnold move into midfield, there could be a move for another right-sided defender. France international Benjamin Pavard has been linked with this position, however, this deal would seem less likely as Klopp pursues more midfield options.
Liverpool Predicted Lineup
Alisson; Alexander-Arnold, Van Dijk, Konate, Robertson; Lavia, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai; Salah, Gakpo, Diaz
Main image credit: Cchana https://flic.kr/p/2nqRyeY, CC BY-SA 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/
