Speaking on the latest edition ofFootball Insider’s Inside Track podcast, Pete O’Rourke indicated that Anfield chiefs want to sign a defensive midfielder in the winter, albeit with an acknowledgment that the mid-season window is ‘not the ideal market’ for major signings.
The Reds didn’t bring in a new number 6 during the summer, despite Arne Slot being eager to add to his squad in that department. After the pursuit of Martin Zubimendi was abruptly ended, the club didn’t identify any suitable alternatives before the end of August.
The failure to bring in a defensive midfielder over the summer hasn’t gone down well with many Liverpool fans, whose ire was compounded by the deadline day departure of Stefan Bajcetic on loan to Red Bull Salzburg.
Ryan Gravenberch has performed well in the number 6 role in the early weeks of the season, but whether he can maintain that over a consistent period against elite opposition remains unclear. There’s a specialist option in Wataru Endo available to call upon, but it already seems that Slot doesn’t fully trust the 31-year-old.
Richard Hughes and his team have four months to scour the market for players who’d be the right fit for the Reds in that area of the pitch – surely more than enough time to go into the January transfer window armed with a shortlist of quality to pursue.
Judging by reaction on social media, a lot of Liverpool supporters feel that the 45-year-old underwhelmed in his first window as the club’s sporting director, with only two new signings made (one of whom won’t link up with LFC until next June).
The remainder of 2024 will determine whether Anfield chiefs were justified or sorely mistaken in not adding a defensive midfielder over the summer. It’s an uncomfortable risk to have taken; let’s hope it doesn’t come back to bite us during the autumn.
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