With Liverpool back to the drawing board for their next midfielder, fans have been revisiting the possibility of previously linked targets for their next No. 6.
It has been quite the few days for Liverpool, punishing ones too with two players choosing a cash splashing Chelsea instead of making the move to Anfield.
Despite having a £111 million bid for Moises Caicedo and then a £60 million offer for Romeo Lavia accepted, neither will be a Red and it is back to square one.
It is frustrating that the club find themselves in this position with the season already underway and the transfer window closing in 16 days.
There is no time for the club to sit on their heels and after being linked to a plethora of options throughout the summer, fans have been assessing where the club could go from here.
And one target, Cheick Doucoure, featured prominently prior to news of the club “stepping up their efforts” to sign the midfielder…
Targets we’ve been linked to before came back to the fore…
Getting both Andre and Doucoure for under the price of Caicedo would make a lot of sense
— Ste Hoare (@stehoare) August 15, 2023
Saw someone say earlier that Doucoure was more suited to a defensive system.
Utter nonsense.
Put him in a possession dominant team and he will thrive. https://t.co/VUPXt5ZYWO
— Dave Hendrick (@MrTwoFooted) August 15, 2023
I’m all in now on Doucoure by the way. Right age, right profile, PL experience and can hit the ground running. Entire market is inflated so £70m, whilst is far too high, is probably what its going to take. Him now and Andre in January would the best now
Leaving £40m for Inacio
— Jay (@Jay82_LFC) August 16, 2023
Mac Allister (8-10)
Dominik (8-10)
Jones (8-10)
Bajectic (6-8)
Elliott (8-10)
Doucoure (6)
Koné (6-8)
Andre/Redondo (6-8)Very successful midfield rebuild by next summer. #LFC
— lila (@LilasLFC) August 15, 2023
Looking at this, it has to be Doucoure or Luis.
Doucoure’s performance is in the Prem, but he plays for a team that has less of the ball.
Luis plays in a much weaker league but plays for a team that has much more of the ball.
I’ll take either. Get them in ready for Newcastle! https://t.co/1mbc0kdWnZ
— Bert Disco (@HauntedLFC) August 15, 2023
We have £110M (at least) to spend on MF. I would pay Doucouré at 80M or so (crazy but our fault for waiting so long) & get André (if we okay to wait till Jan) or Baleba/Kone/Thuram (£25M/£35M/£45M). Problem is 2 NHG spots & Adrian takes useless spot, we are unable to add a NHG CB
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) August 15, 2023
Coming round to the idea of Palhinha. Likely to command a heavily inflated fee this late in the window, but probably the closest Liverpool can get at this point to a sure thing in terms of slotting in and making an immediate impact at a really high level.
— Joel Rabinowitz (@joel_archie) August 15, 2023
Sangare is the type they need to compliment what they have. Physically imposing with decent enough technical ability.
— Daniel Gabbidon (@Gabbidon35) August 14, 2023
FWIW, the players I’d like Liverpool to sign now are Florentino Luis and Goncalo Inacio.
Ideally you add another midfielder (Thuram or Kone), but I’d be fine with sorting Andre for January instead there.
— Matt Ladson (@mattladson) August 15, 2023
But ‘newer’ names have also been thrown in the mix…
Liverpool should go all out for Max Eberl
— Sponge (@monkeysponge) August 15, 2023
Put respect on Tyler Adams’ name ?
My boy is just injured a lot cause he’s been run ragged. https://t.co/ox1H2x0kXR
— Rex ??????? (@ThatRexGuy) August 15, 2023
Jesus man look at Tyler Adams on this graph. I will stand by it being a mistake for Liverpool not getting him for years if they don’t try. https://t.co/V9dR0B8vQv
— Dalton Kemper (@DaltonKemper) August 16, 2023
“I’m probably a little biased and in the minority, but I would love to see what Tyler Adams could do under Klopp. Kid has unlimited potential both physical and mental. And steps up in big games.” – NCRED in TIA comments.
Add Redondo to the list. Should definitely get him in. https://t.co/qzcakrStq6
— Im?d (@IBoustany) August 14, 2023
My “hear me out” option.
Falls into the same category as Gravenberch: we were interested before his last move, has been a comparative disaster since.
But the player we saw at Lille was something special pic.twitter.com/LERBSHarEa
— El Mans (@el_mansfield) August 15, 2023
And some are hoping Liverpool are to work quietly for the right reasons…
Our biggest detriment this window is how PUBLIC our negotiations have been. When you are eyeing 2 players for same position being public makes one player feel as option B & not really interested (then lose out on both) terrible optics. Need to go back under radar
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) August 15, 2023
Liverpool silence in the transfer market used to be a good thing! You knew a signing would come out of nowhere. Now it’s just pure agony! We need players ?
— Cryptic ? (@Cryptic_100) August 16, 2023
After a horrendous show on how Liverpool operates in the transfer dealing in the past few weeks, I expect a more subtle, smart, and quiet one. A surprise signing. pic.twitter.com/xDsTTWWSMQ
— K (@kei8lfc) August 16, 2023
hope liverpool keep the potential next signing quiet n just get some gem nobody even thought about
— Dan (@coley1892) August 15, 2023
With our 2 NHG spots left the only way we sign 3 players (2 MF/1CB) is if we sign 2 NHG players (say Doucouré & Inacio/Theate etc ) and one player that is less than 21 years old (say Redondo/Andre is already 22). Or just 2 NHG players.
— Moby (@Mobyhaque1) August 15, 2023
There can be no understating how important the next couple of weeks are for Liverpool and all eyes will be on how the club approach the task after two public rejections.
Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait until late in the window to find out!
