With the departure of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, Liverpool is left with only Stefan Bajcetic, who can play at the bottom of midfield, and only young midfielder James McConnell remains. In preseason, Curtis Jones and Trent Alexander-Arnold played, but they were noticeably lacking in ball possession.
Liverpool, hoping to settle early for the new season, is committed to acquiring Southampton midfielder Romeo Rabia, but two offers have been rejected and negotiations have not moved forward. Liverpool are reluctant to pay the asking price, which is estimated to be £50 million.
According to the Independent, Manchester United is also preparing to enter the race for the player, as Liverpool is not willing to meet their demands. Erik ten Hag is looking to strengthen his midfield and also interested in Moroccan midfielder Sofian Amrabat, but is open to other options.
The club, which acquired English midfielder Mason Mount from Chelsea and Cameroon goalkeeper Andre Onana from Inter Milan this summer, is also close to acquiring Rasmus Hojlund, and a sale is reportedly a top priority before reinforcing new players.
The club has already spent most of its budget, and talks of selling the club have made no progress. It cannot be said that paying a new £50 million for a 19-year-old midfielder is a top priority, and it may be unlikely that the club will actually join the fray.
However, Liverpool cannot compete in terms of money. Chelsea is expected to join the race in earnest if they fail to sign Ecuadorian midfielder Moises Caicedo, and although they would like to delay negotiations as long as possible, they do not value him as much as they are asking for him, and the dilemma continues.
Where will the promising Belgian midfielder find his new home?