The addition of Martin Zubimendi would not disrupt Liverpool's current midfield group, with plenty of minutes to go around, expert David Lynch has argued.
While some managers take time to settle on their preferred XI, Arne Slot has quickly cemented Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai in his first choice midfield.
Although there are still 30 Premier League games to go, the early signs are promising, with the trio helping propel Slot's side to first place.
Curtis Jones shone in midfield against Chelsea last Sunday, but Harvey Elliott and Wataru Endo have hardly featured this season, with Slot not particularly keen on using the latter.
Liverpool expert Lynch has said that the club know they need to make an additional midfield signing at some point to avoid burning players out, citing the Reds' failed pursuit of Zubimendi this past summer as evidence.
Speaking to Sports Mole, he said: "I just think the reality is that you can't ask any of those players to play 50 times, 90 minutes over a course of a season, and Liverpool want to go deep in all the competitions.
"I just think, you know, there is a case to be made there that more rotation is needed in that central area, and I mean, there's no better argument that Liverpool agree than the fact that they did chase Zubimendi in the first place anyway."
Who drops out of midfield?
If Liverpool were to sign a midfielder, it could present Slot with a conundrum in terms of who to leave out, especially as a new addition would likely be expected to start most games.
Gravenberch has operated deeper than Mac Allister and Szoboszlai this term, and if Zubimendi or another number six was brought to the club, then the Dutchman could potentially drop out of the team.
However, Lynch does not believe another signing would negatively impact any of Slot's midfielders, and instead suggested an injury to one key player could make the Reds light in the middle of the pitch.
"If you get an injury to Gravenberch, you can bring Jones in, absolutely happy with that. But again, it just doesn't take much for if one of them gets one that's, you know, 10 weeks or whatever, you're suddenly looking very bare in terms of your rotational options.
"I just genuinely believe that if they had another quality option in there, it's not necessarily, you know, it's up to them to compete to be whatever's first choice if there was a cup final tomorrow. But I'm absolutely convinced there will be enough games for that amount of midfielders to thrive, which is exactly why they tried to buy one in the summer in Zubimendi."
Makeshift midfield
© Imago
An argument could be made that the Reds have been patching their midfield together for some time given their notorious failed pursuits of Aurelien Tchouameni, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, with the latter two both signing for Chelsea in 2023.
Gravenberch is far from a traditional defensive midfielder despite his strong showings in the position so far this season, Szoboszlai has endured criticism of late for his performances in an attacking midfield role, and others such as Mac Allister are suited to playing as number eights.
"[Liverpool] already knew they had Gravenberch. They maybe didn't know that he was going to excel as he has in that role, but they knew he was there and capable of doing it," Lynch said.
"[Slot] knew [Liverpool] had Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai, you know, and Harvey Elliott, of course, in that attacking midfield role as well. So they knew the options they had, but they just felt that there were enough games there to keep all these players happy. And I just think, you know, if you get an injury to Mac Allister, you've no tempo setter in that midfield."
Perhaps Slot would benefit most if the club were to finally sign a midfielder, as while he may have to rotate his side more to satisfy the demands of his current midfielders, the Dutchman may finally have the opportunity to fully implement his ideal playstyle and get the most from his first XI.
Lewis Nolan
