Liverpool transfer targets will completely change midfield dynamic

Liverpool have already snapped up Brighton’s Alexis Mac Allister and are poised to make two more midfield signings, and all three look to offer a new dynamic compared to the current roster.

Mac Allister’s move was confirmed last week as the club agreed a £35million deal that could rise to £55m. The 24-year-old was an important first acquisition as it shows the club’s willingness to secure their targets early in the window.

According to David Lynch at Football Insider, the groundwork is being laid to sign both Borussia Monchengladbach’s Manu Kone and Nice’s Kephren Thuram this summer, on top of the Mac Allister deal. With James Milner, Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain all departing, there’s space in Jurgen Klopp’s squad for new blood. And those two could give the Reds a new driving force in midfield that has been subsequently lacking across last season.

To further illustrate this point, we’ve decided to utilise Opta’s statistics which tell us that the three targets (Mac Allister, Kone and Thuram) all rank significantly higher than the current midfield set-up in terms of chance creating carries (of five metres or more) last season: Thuram (30) Alexis Mac Allister (22) Manu Kone (19) and Harvey Elliott - Liverpool’s top midfielder for this - sits at 14.

All three players bring energy, work-rate and willingness to drive forward with the ball which is certainly a different threat when compared to both Jordan Henderson and Thiago in their current states - plus Thuram and Kone are more physically imposing than the likes of Elliot and Jones. With all three midfielders also boasting strong progressive carries, Klopp has clearly outlined the need for energy in his midfield, which he will hope can fire them back into title contention.

Rather than trying to emulate a more possession-based style like Manchester City, Klopp knows they need solidity in the middle of the pitch to allow the front-line and full-backs to influence the game more regularly. These potential signings will help do just that, but it will also give them more stability and an improved presence that should make the team stronger overall.