From Mac Allister to Thuram: Liverpool’s midfield revolution this summer

Sam McGuire

• Updated: 23 May 2023 14:00 BST
• 5 min read

Liverpool are set for a big summer overhaul.

The Anfield faithful bid farewell to Roberto Firmino, James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita on Saturday and recent reports have claimed Jurgen Klopp is looking to add three midfielders and a centre-back to his squad when the current campaign comes to an end.

The Reds have been linked with a host of names over recent weeks. Romeo Lavia and Orkun Kukcu are the latest to be rumoured on Liverpool’s ever-growing midfield shortlist. The pair, along with Khephren Thuram, Mason Mount, Jude Bellingham, Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister, Manuel Ugarte, Conor Gallagher and Matheus Nunes, seemingly make up Klopp’s summer wishlist.

With Liverpool losing three middle third options in Oxlade-Chamberlain, Milner and Keita, it does make sense that three might be brought in.

However, there are a number of things to consider right now.

Those who are on their way out rarely played for the Reds so it isn’t as though there are now three gaping holes in the first-team squad. Between them this season, Milner, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Keita have racked up just 1,432 minutes in the Premier League.

There’s no reason these minutes couldn’t be picked up by a resurgent Curtis Jones or Stefan Bajcetic as he continues his development. There’s also talk that Tyler Morton could be involved with the first team next season, so some of those minutes could go the way of the 20-year-old.

And this is where it gets a little complicated. The new system being used by Liverpool in possession, the 3-2-2-3, limits the number of midfielders needed. The two positions behind the front three could be filled by attack-minded players, such as Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, Cody Gakpo and Jones.

When you analyse the squad profile, the Reds already have a number of players who can play in that box midfield.

Klopp can pick four from Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Bajcetic, Jones, Elliott, Carvalho, Morton, Gakpo and Trent Alexander-Arnold as the inverted full-back. The quantity is already there, adding three to that is overkill.

Obviously, there is more to it than that. Fabinho, Thiago and Henderson all need their minutes managed a little better moving forward. Bajcetic and Morton are both young and inexperienced, so relying on them is a little risky. Elliott still looks like a strange fit while Carvalho hasn’t been given many opportunities. Jones has been the real deal since the change in shape but we’re yet to see whether the 22-year-old can play at this level for a sustained period of time.

There is a lot of pressure on Klopp next season to juggle all of these players to ensure they all get what they need.

With this in mind though, would it not make more sense for the Reds to focus on quality over quantity in the transfer market?

Everything points towards Alexis Mac Allister signing for the Reds as soon as the season is over. For this piece, we’ll class him as a guarantee. What else do Liverpool need this summer?

The profile of Mac Allister seems to point to him playing as the left-sided midfielder for Klopp’s men. He could act as a controller in a 4-3-3 but also play the role occupied by Jones over recent weeks as an attacking midfielder in possession in wider areas having played as a wide forward early on in his career.

Now, from the list of players linked, Thuram could fall into this category. Though primarily a midfielder, Nice have been using him on the left a little more this campaign to make use of his ball-carrying ability.

The 6ft 4in midfielder is versatile but looking at the current system, Liverpool would probably use him on the left to get the best out of him. I don’t know how you fit Mac Allister and Thuram into the same XI. He could play in the double pivot but it would limit his on-ball stuff.

Matheus Nunes is another who could be profiled in a similar way. He’s been used by Wolves on the left this season despite being used in a midfield two while with Sporting. Does he fit into the team if you already have Mac Allister?

Mount and Gallagher could operate on the opposite side. This role is currently occupied by Henderson and he’s not getting any younger. So there is justification to sign one of the two Chelsea players if they are earmarked for that right-sided role.

Mac Allister and Mount give Liverpool a number of options due to their versatility too. There’s a fit for them as well as a need. Both of those boxes are ticked.

Kokcu, Gravenberch and Ugarte are all interesting in their own way.

The Feyenoord skipper is technically brilliant but he’s not the quickest and at 5ft 9in, it would be a fairly small midfield unit if Liverpool brought him in along with Mount and Mac Allister. Ugarte is a duel monster and deceptively good on the ball but where does he fit into this box shape? He doesn’t defend space like Fabinho does, so using him alongside Alexander-Arnold in a double pivot gives the No. 66 more defensive responsibility. Is that what Liverpool want right now?

Gravenberch could be developed into a long-term successor to Fabinho in a two-man midfield. The 21-year-old 6ft 3in midfielder would be a project though and Liverpool have a number of those in the middle third right now. Getting the balance right will shape the club’s future, both short and long-term.

Signing someone for the sake of it is just as bad as not signing anyone at all. There needs to be some sense to what is shaping up to be something of a scattergun approach to this window.