Fabinho has lauded Liverpool’s efforts to replace outgoing stars by bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai.
The Merseysiders lost James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keita, and Arthur Melo (loan) from the midfield department.
“We lost, I think, three midfield players that were really important for us in the last maybe five, six years. It’s good to bring some good players in that position because we will need [them],” the Brazilian told the club’s official website.
“In the way we play, the intensity we play, we always need not just three or four but maybe six players in this position [in the squad].
“So yes, it’s good to have these two players with us now. We played against them already, so we know how good they are. It’s good to have them in the team.”
The Reds’ business is hardly expected to stop there, however, with one further midfield signing, on top of a centre-back, desired.
Liverpool must plough on in the midfield market
It’s our understanding that this may be predicated on another potential departure, with the club said to be reluctant to move for Romeo Lavia at this current point.
A £50m asking price will certainly have something to do with that and it’s entirely possible that management feel there are enough options available in the squad – especially once Trent Alexander-Arnold is taken into account courtesy of his hybrid role.
Ultimately, though, we’d be foolish to ignore Fabinho’s point about losing three ‘really important’ stars in the middle of the park who did (to varying degrees) play a vital role in the squad over the lifespan of Jurgen Klopp’s first great Liverpool side.
Sad as it is to refer to, the former Monaco star’s troubling form for much of the prior campaign, surely means that further cover will be sought out for the 6 role.
Whether that stunts Stefan Bajcetic’s development remains to be seen, however, we also can’t afford to be totally reliant on one 19-year-old to plug the gap should our first-choice option have truly taken an Anfield career-ending tumble off a cliff.
Avoiding a third midfield signing would, we fear, require another roll of the dice on odds we’d be far from comfortable betting our house on. After a season defined by an ill-advised dance with the odds, you’d think the club would be keen to steer clear of gambling altogether.
#Ep79 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: Dominik Szoboszlai – a mix of De Bruyne/Gerrard/Zidane?
Palhiha or Amrabat would be the ideal support for Fab at No6.