Liverpool’s midfield situation continues to invited the scratching of chins as the start of the 2023/24 campaign draws ever closer.
The club can hardly be faulted for its pace in securing two brand new additions in the form of £35m Alexis Mac Allister and £60.4m Dominik Szoboszlai, though the general consensus seems to be that a third must be brought in.
Where that leaves the likes of young stars Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic remains to be seen, though there’s certainly an argument to be made that the former of the trio should be allowed to hold onto his place in the starting-XI judging by his recent performances.
READ MORE: Manchester United prove FSG may have saved Liverpool’s transfer window – opinion
The Englishman (valued at £15.7m, according to Football Transfers’ unique valuation system) was the deserved recipient of back-to-back man of the match awards for England U21s’ Euros-winning outfit, securing both accolades in the semi-final and final of the competition.
Following on from a highly impressive finish to the prior domestic season, in which he firmly held down the left central midfield role, it’s hard to imagine Jurgen Klopp thrusting new signing Mac Allister straight into the starting lineup.
We should emphasise that it wouldn’t necessarily be outrageous provided that the former Brighton man enjoyed a solid pre-season – and we certainly shouldn’t forget his own rather remarkable contributions for club and country recently – though it very much feels like Jones’ position to lose as things currently stand.
If the Academy graduate can carry his stunning form into the next term too, we’d be more than excited to see what 2023/24 has to offer for the 22-year-old.
#Ep79 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Dominik Szoboszlai – a mix of De Bruyne/Gerrard/Zidane?