Liverpool look set to be left in something of a transfer pickle once Jordan Henderson and Fabinho officially part ways with the club in the coming days.
The Reds will be relatively well-rewarded from that arrangement, with both exits, if reports on the matter are completely accurate, set to deliver an income boost of £52m.
At the cost of two midfielders who were at the heart of everything seismic Jurgen Klopp helped the Merseysiders achieve over the better part of a decade.
READ MORE: Klopp could save Liverpool millions with surprise in-house midfield fix
The crux of the matter is that we’ll now need to spend, and spend big, to replace two huge figures on the pitch and, particularly in the case of our skipper, in the dressing room.
It’s perhaps not quite the job, nor the pressure, Jorg Schmadtke had in mind when Liverpool first pitched the idea of a short-term role with the club to help them in what was already looking like a challenging window to conduct back in June.
So where does this leave us, we hear you ask?
Internal solutions will have been debated and commitments made
As we’ve already seen with the experimental use of Cody Gakpo in the midfield three during the 3-3 goal fest that was our behind-closed-doors encounter with Greuther Furth, the club is prepared to consider internal solutions to the problem at hand.
It isn’t an entirely left-of-field solution either given that the Dutchman had already been trialled as a No.8 in the prior campaign and certainly possesses suitable traits to make an impact in the role.
Fortunately, there’s still plenty of time left in pre-season for the coaching team to debate the value of using the former PSV ace more flexibly ahead of the 2023/24 campaign.
The obvious hole Liverpool simply can’t adequately plug using the tools closest to hand, of course, is the No.6 position, with Tyler Morton and Stefan Bajcetic far too young and inexperienced to be left with the responsibility.
Liverpool will, and must, sign at least one midfielder this summer
This brings us neatly to our transfer plans for the remainder of the window.
Bearing in mind that further business is considered a must when it comes to the health of the backline, it remains difficult to predict just how many signings will be brought in, or more specifically, how the money will be spread.
We do know this: even should only Henderson part ways with the club this summer, bringing in at least one central midfielder in the current window remains an absolute necessity.
If Fabinho’s transfer to Al-Ittihad not go through, which appears to now be a possibility, the path forward should be clear for Jorg Schmadtke and Co.
Romeo Lavia’s name has been most frequently discussed during this period of time and we’d place our bets on the Southampton man being the next in through the door if his potential sensei in our Brazilian No.3 were to stay put at L4.
If both go, it’s difficult to see the Belgian coming in without another, more senior, holding option following him into the AXA training centre to help steady the ship.
#Ep83 of The Empire of the Kop Podcast: EOTK Insider with Neil Jones
Looks like Fabinho is staying. Simplest and best solution all round for us. YNWA.