After a major reinforcement in midfield last summer, Liverpool revived from the season before last and competed for the Premier League title. They won the Carabao Cup and at one stage were in a position to win the Europa League and FA Cup.
Despite a string of injuries, they put in strong performances towards the end of the season, thanks in part to their academy players, but ultimately ran out of steam. With Jurgen Klopp gone and a new team in the making, Liverpool may once again be in the market for a midfielder.
According to Leo Paradizo, an Argentine journalist, Liverpool are preparing to join the race for Porto midfielder Alan Varela, with Manchester City and Bayern Munich interested.
The Argentine U-23 midfielder, who moved to Portugal from Boca Juniors in August 2023, has scored two goals and assisted three in 44 games this season through Liga Bévin and the Champions League. He is beginning to prove his ability in Europe and on the international stage.
The 31-year-old Japanese midfielder Wataru Endo, who moved from the Bundesliga, has shown his worth, but a young defensive midfielder is still needed for the future structure. The club has a young squad, including Stefan Bajcetic, but has yet to have a full season’s worth of success in the past.
It is possible that some of the youngsters will make the leap next season, but one option is to play it safe and get a new player who can handle the bottom of midfield. It would not be surprising if the Argentinian midfielder is a candidate for that role.
However, the priority in Liverpool’s reinforcement plan is for centre-backs and attackers, so it is not even clear how much of the budget will remain.
At the moment, it is unlikely that Liverpool will make a serious move for the former Boca Juniors midfielder, but anything can happen in the transfer market. Will Liverpool be looking to sign a new midfielder for the second year in a row?