James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all left Anfield last season as their contracts expired.This was followed by Jordan Henderson and Fabinho, who had no plans to leave, who successively requested to go to the Middle East and moved to Saudi Arabia.
They were replaced by Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, who joined the club and, due in part to their influence, have been involved in the championship contenders this season.
However, Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, acquired as a defensive midfielder, will soon turn 31, and reports of acquiring a midfield midfielder in his early 20s have been circulating.
While the heat has died down recently, the topic is still smoldering. According to Football Insider, the battle for Brazilian midfielder Douglas Luiz, who anchors Aston Villa’s strong midfield, could get serious this summer, with Liverpool, Arsenal, and Barcelona all expected to enter the fray.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who has become an integral part of the midfield since Unai Emery took over as manager, has started every Premier League game except for a yellow card suspension. The club is in a race for the top of the table with Liverpool, Manchester City, and Arsenal.
At 177 cm, he is not a big man, but he is an excellent defender and can play cunningly, as is typical of South American players.
His high technique makes him difficult to lose possession of the ball, and he can sometimes provide the decisive pass in the penalty area while adding rhythm to his passes from the bottom of the midfield.
He has rapidly gained in reputation over the past year or two, and in the winter of 2022 Arsenal made two offers for him, but Aston Villa stubbornly refused to let him go.
The Brazilian midfielder has now become one of the Premier League’s leading midfielders, but will he leave the club he will be spending time at from 2019 and step up to a mega club…?