After missing out on the sale of Real Sociedad midfielder Martin Zubimendi, Liverpool must move on to the next transfer priority.
Liverpool have yet to make a signing under new manager Arne Slot, and their Premier League campaign begins on Saturday with a trip to Ipswich Town. The Reds were dismayed when Martin Zubimendi declined an invitation to stay with his boyhood club Real Sociedad.
Slot will be aiming to instill his style of play on the training pitch ahead of the top-flight season opener, but he is likely to start with the club that struggled during Jurgen Klopp’s final season. Following Liverpool’s pre-season triumph over Sevilla, captain Virgil van Dijk stated that he is “fully convinced” that there will be movement before the deadline.
Liverpool are widely expected to miss out on the Premier League championship fight, with some even placing them outside of the Champions League spots. Georgian goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili has surfaced as a target as the Reds construct a contingency plan for Alisson Becker’s potential departure, but with the Zubimendi rejection still fresh, Liverpool ECHO writers have given their say on where the club should focus next.
Stephen Killen
Liverpool still needs to find a new defensive midfielder. Slot appears to want a player better suited to the role of pivot, capable of receiving the ball under pressure.
Wataru Endo, who was brought in as an extinguisher last summer, appears to have fallen out of favour, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Curtis Jones, and Ryan Gravenberch all employed in the position throughout preseason.
The new look Liverpool has yet to face the true acid test, but rest assured that it will be put to the test during the Premier League season, and for Slot, there will be some nervous moments with the risky possession-based approach they are pursuing.
Gravenberch is expected to play in midfield alongside Alexis MacAllister at this moment, which is both important and thrilling. But Liverpool cannot afford to lose the ingenuity of Jones or Szoboszlai by playing further back.
Liverpool may have missed out on Zubimendi, but they should try to go on the attack to sign a defensive midfielder because, given their track record, their options do not end with the 25-year-old Spaniard.
Matthew Abbott
While Liverpool’s failed attempt to sign Martin Zubimendi demonstrates their need for a defensive midfielder, they also did so last summer. However, the Reds do have enough of options in center midfield for Arne Slot to rotate through.
That may not be the case at centre-back if Nat Phillips, Rhys Williams, and Sepp van den Berg leave this month. Joel Matip has left, and the club struggled to make do with only Ibrahima Konate, Jarell Quansah, and Virgil van Dijk last season.
Joe Gomez might, of course, return to central defence this season if Slot sees fit, but it has been three years since Liverpool signed a central defender for the first team. Goncalo Inacio is being connected and has a £51 million release clause, similar to Zubimendi.
With the team able to pay that much for the Real Sociedad midfielder, it may be worthwhile to spend the same amount on the Sporting defense. Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen, who can also play left-back, could be available for a similar fee and is rumored to want to transfer this month, which could benefit the Reds.
Kieran Horn
Arne Slot’s transfer priorities should change after Martin Zubimendi turned down a move to Liverpool. The Reds have a variety of midfield options, and Zubimendi was obviously identified as a target because to his unique mix of skills, and no alternative appears to be available at a comparable price.
As a result of one injury in the backline, Slot should be looking to reinforce his defence. Joe Gomez can play in any position across the back four, but Liverpool will require another natural centre-back in the future, particularly as Virgil van Dijk grows older.
Piero Hincapie of Bayer Leverkusen appears to be a wonderful fit for a variety of reasons. For starters, after three years in Germany, he is looking for a fresh challenge as he enters the golden years of his career at the age of 22. The Ecuador international is also left-footed, which is ideal for Liverpool because the club currently lacks a center defender with that profile.
