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Who Should Liverpool Sign to Complete The Midfield Rebuild? A (Frantic) Look at Several Defensive(ly Astute) Midfielders and Fabinho's (Eventual) Successor
Data / Stats / Analysis
With the signing of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool have succeeded in reinvigorating our calamitous midfield after the departure of Keita, Milner, and Ox at the start of the summer transfer window. Now, only one position is left untouched: the number 6 role occupied by Fabinho.
In writing this hopefully I can show what kind of players Liverpool should sign to complete the midfield rebuild. The players listed below, all 36 of them, are all unlikely to sign for us this window; nevertheless, Liverpool are likely to sign similar player/s in the near future with Fabinho not getting any younger in the years to come.
1. Fabinho's Role in Liverpool
To start, let's differentiate a "defensive midfielder" from Fabinho's role, because while the latter is technically the former, the former isn't necessarily an accurate way of portraying the latter. A defensive midfielder is a broad terminology, with a variety of specific roles put together under one umbrella to simplify football discourse. What differentiates a defensive midfielder from let's say, an attacking midfielder, is how involved a midfielder is in defending. So while Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, and Thiago all occupy distinct roles in Liverpool's midfield, they could all be referred to as defensive midfielders all the same as a result of their defensive contributions.
Bajcetic's best performance in his debut season was the brief period where he played on the left side of a midfield three, with either Fabinho or Thiago playing as the pivot. Milner on the other hand played most of last season on the right side of the midfield three, exchanging positions regularly with Trent in transitions. Fabinho play neither of these roles, yet the three of them are "defensive midfielders" nonetheless.
Bajcetic, Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson, and Milner, 21/22 Liverpool's "defensive midfielders".
Even with how broad the definition is, if someone were to ask you which one is Liverpool's defensive midfielder, your answer is most likely Fabinho. Within the context of Liverpool, we refer to his role as the "defensive midfielder" role, even if in other circumstances we would define players that clearly don't fit the role (e.g. Kante and Kimmich) under the same terminology. The context dependency of the term is present even in this post's title: through the contextual lens of Liverpool, we all understand that the "defensive midfielder" here refer to players that can fit Fabinho's role rather than the broader definition.
Instead of searching for defensive midfielders, in this post I'll refer to what we're searching for as the "number 6" instead. Semantic ambiguities also exist within the "number 6" term, but at the very least we can pinpoint players that can either replace or reinforce Fabinho instead of an entirely different kind of "defensive midfielder".
Normally Fabinho occupy the number 6 as a sole pivot, screening the space in front of the backline and at times charging forward to disrupt opposition build-up play. This role however had evolved in Liverpool's last 10 PL games, introducing Trent as a false full-back effectively as the double pivot in possession. Whether this tactical change will be permanent remain unseen; nevertheless, Klopp employing Trent to support the midfield defensively signal a necessity of reinforcements at the base of the midfield three.
2. Profiling Targets
Usually I'd list the traits of what our targets for the number 6 role should have and list players that fit the description. This post however will be slightly different as I've compiled the data of PL midfielders from FBref and Opta in anticipation of our midfield rebuild. From the data available in FBRef, I can generate charts that evaluate a midfielder's performance within the context of PL standards. Some of you might have already seen these type of charts in the YNWSA comment section before, and the charts do make the task of finding our players easier.
Data courtesy of FBRef and Opta.
First we have three distinct areas that correspond with a player's numbers in attack, in defence, and in possession. The inner dotted line marks the average in the PL, so Casemiro and Rodri for example are pretty average at generating chances, a remarkable feat for players of their role. Players that excel at these specific facets of the game should have their areas beyond the outer dotted line, the line marking an 85th or higher percentile ranking amongst PL midfielders. For Example, Odegaard is very good at creating chances and scoring goals galore, so his chart leans to the upper right with a variety of categories placing above the 85th percentile. Rodri on the other hand is excellent in possession, with remarkably high numbers in all possession category barring successful-take ons. Casemiro as the rock of Manchester United's midfield is excellent in the defensive metrics, ranking high in all category.
Another use for the charts is to visually represent the parameters I would typically use to filter out players. For this instance all we need is a representation of the number 6 role, Fabinho. Obviously watching last season's games, we'd be foolish to use the current Fabinho as our template. Instead, we'll use the title winning 19/20 Fabinho and his last season at Monaco in 18/19 as our base. To add more players into the mix, let's also add Rodri and Tchouameni as part of the templates. Rodri can represent the platonic ideal of a possession-heavy number 6, while Tchouameni as a player strongly linked with Liverpool can represent the type of 6s we've been looking at before his transfer to Real Madrid.
21/22 Tchouameni, 22/23 Rodri, 19/20 Fabinho, and 18/19 Fabinho, the bases for our moulds.
Obviously these players are some of the best defensive midfielders of their respective seasons, so the moulds from these players should be adjusted to favour less skilled players. We should also focus less on the attacking side of their game. What we have then are 4 moulds based on the aforementioned players. To account for number 6s playing in non-possession based teams, we'll also generate 4 more charts discounting the possession-based stats. We'll name these moulds according to the player they're based on: L for Liverpool's Fabinho, M for Monaco's Fabinho, R for Rodri, and T for Tchouameni. The moulds without possession are marked with a "-" to denote their lack of completeness.
Generating player moulds fom Fabinho, Rodri, and Tchouameni. Data courtesy of FBref and Opta.
The only factors left out of the charts are age and height, which we'll filter out separately. To compete with Fabinho's physique we can filter out players under 178 cm tall and over 28 years old. These filters should separate defensive midfielders with inadequate longevity and physicality.
Next, all we need is to filter out defensive midfielders that fit these 8 moulds, easy enough right?The players that fit the initial moulds are:
3. Candidates
Florentino Luis, Lucien Agoume, and Marko Grujic.
Florentino Luis. 23. Benfica.L M T
Lucien Agoume. 21. Inter Milan. L- M- T
Marko Grujic. 27. Porto. L- M- R- T
That's right, out of 3996 players in the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Primeira Liga, and Serie A, only 3 players fit the initial moulds. Benfica's Florentino, Inter's Agoume, and Porto's Grujic. Florentino fits the L, M, and T moulds while Agoume and Grujic fit the T mould. All three players are excellent defensively, with high volume of aerial duels, ground duels, and interceptions. They're also excellent at passing, with higher than average progressive passes and passing volume, and an exceptionally excellent output for Florentino.
Florentino Luis, Lucien Agoume, and Marko Grujic courtesy of FBRef and Opta.
Out of the three, Florentino is the clear favourite. Agoume and Grujic pale in comparison to Florentino in terms of minutes played, starting 14 league matches compared to Florentino's 25 starts. Nevertheless, the two are clearly capable of competing with Fabinho should they sign for Liverpool. Should Fabinho stay as the senior number 6, Agoume would also fit perfectly as his protege before transitioning to regularly starting ahead of him.
3.1. -Candidates
Once we add our initial moulds with their "-" counterparts, the list of players expanded from 3 to 26, and out of the 26 players, these 5 stood out the most among their peers:
Almoatasem Al Musrati, Dani Silva, Edson Alvarez, Leon Goretzka, and Mats Wieffer.
Almoatasem Al Musrati. 27. Braga. L- R-
Dani Silva. 23. Vitoria. L- M- R-
Edson Alvarez. 25. Ajax. L- R-
Leon Goretzka. 28. Bayern Munchen. R- T-
Mats Wieffer. 23. Feyenoord. L- M-
All 5 players fit the defensive requirements of the initial moulds, even if they fall short of fitting the moulds themselves. Alvarez, Goretzka, and Wieffer tend to carry the ball from deep, taking-on players with their excellent ball retention and physicality. This facet of their game made them suitable not only as competition for Fabinho, but also for the number 8 roles, adding tactical flexibility should we sign any of them. Al Musrati and Dani Silva might not have this added aspect to their game, but both of them are still very competent, defensively astute midfielders by their own merits.
Almoatasem Al Musrati, Dani Silva, Edson Alvarez, Leon Goretzka, and Mats Wieffer courtesy of FBref and Opta.
Statistically, Alvarez is the clear choice as the overall leader. The shape of his chart is also remarkably similar to that of Rodri's, indicating a similar role in a possession-dominant Ajax. Personally though, I prefer Wieffer. With a younger age profile and surprisingly excellent shot-creating actions volume, he'd fit better either as a backup for the number 8 role or as Fabinho's protege.
Other than these 5 players, I've also listed 5 players that can fit Liverpool whether Fabinho's departure to Saudi Arabia turn out to be true or not. Should he stay at Liverpool, we need to sign a younger protege for a more well-rounded squad. Should he leave abroad, we need an experienced player to play either as a backup to a younger Fabinho successor, or as a stop-gap starter while Fabinho's successor matures.
3.1.1. Young -Candidates
Eric Martel, Moises Caicedo, Morten Hjulmand, Peer Koopmeiners, and Samu Costa.
Eric Martel. 21. Koln. L- M-
Moises Caicedo. 21. Brighton. L- R-
Morten Hjulmand. 24 Lecce. L-
Peer Koopmeiners. 23. AZ Alkmaar. L- M- R- T-
Samu Costa. 22. Almeria. L-
Players in this category should be very attractive for the club, whether Fabinho were to depart or not. All 5 are excellent defensively, active in winning aerial duels, ground duels, and ball interceptions, albeit at a much lower rate than the aforementioned categories. Their age profile would also mean that should any of them fail to make any impact, we can always defer to the option of loaning or even selling them. Even if most of them play in a different setup to Liverpool's heavy possession system, their age would also mean more time to adapt to the system as opposed to older talents.
Eric Martel, Moises Caicedo, Morten Hjulmand, Peer Koopmeiners, and Samu Costa courtesy of FBref and Opta
Caicedo's experience playing in a possession-dominant team at the top level is expressed fully in the charts, and as expected he's the favourite in this category. There are concerns about his viability as a sole pivot, and should Liverpool prefer a more physically dominant number 6 Hjulmand then emerges as the favourite instead. The other options are also fairly attractive, and for a backup option, affordable to boot.
3.1.2. Experienced -Candidates
Hidemasa Morita, Joao Palhinha, Mikel Merino, Nabil Bentaleb, and Thom Haye
Hidemasa Morita. 28. Sporting. L- R-
Joao Palhinha. 28. Fulham. L-
Mikel Merino. 27. Real Sociedad. R-
Nabil Bentaleb. 28. Angers. L-
Thom Haye. 28. Heerenveen. L-
Rumours of Fabinho and Henderson's departure reverberated around journos with links to the club as of recently. If either or both of them were to leave in the same window, it is imperative for Liverpool to sign seasoned players that can competently fill in multiple position. The priority for this category is simple: not too old yet senior players with ample experience and the ability to fill in for the entire midfield. Accordingly, all of the players above fill these expectations, whether to start as a high-output, defensively competent replacement, or as a useful flexible bench option.
Hidemasa Morita, Joao Palhinha, Mikel Merino, Nabil Bentaleb, and Thom Haye courtesy of FBref and Opta
Real Sociedad's stalwart Merino is the clear favourite for this category, and for good reasons. Whether offensively or defensively, his output is levels above other candidates, and even rivals more suitable candidates mentioned above. Calling him a 6 would infact be a disservice to his attacking output, though the numbers do suggest him as a defensively astute midfielder. Even if we were to sign another midfielder, Merino would still be able to force himself into Klopp's plans, competing with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in the starting lineup.
3.1.3 Championship -Candidates
Conor Coventry, Etienne Camara, Hamza Choudhury
Conor Coventry. 23. West Ham. L- M- R-
Etienne Camara. 20. Huddersfield. R-
Hamza Choudhury. 25. Leicester. L-
One of the few consistent talking points surrounding our midfield rebuild is the lack of space for registering foreign players under Premier League and UEFA's regulations. One solution in bypassing this issue is expanding our search to the championship, with three players fitting under the -moulds whilst neatly fitting the player's registration regulations.
Conor Coventry, Etienne Camara, Hamza Choudhury courtesy of FBref and Opta
Are they up to Liverpool's standards? Fuck no. But a spare pair of legs is better than Fabinho starting the whole season without a proper physically imposing, ball-winning backup. Camara, the youngest of the three at 20 years old, should be the favourite due to his assumed higher ceiling.
4. Conclusion
After filtering through 3996 players across Europe's top 5 leagues + Eredivisie and Primeira Liga, Benfica's Florentino stood above the rest as the obvious successor to Fabinho. Expanding the filters to include players that doesn't fit the possession-bound moulds presented Ajax's Alvarez instead, with numbers similar to Rodri albeit at a far inferior league.
Should we choose to entertain offers for either Fabinho or Henderson, it's imperative that we also sign an experienced midfielder that can fill in the gaps, such as Merino. A younger more malleable talent such as Caicedo would also be lucrative signing, though, availability and game time might be a hindrance in the occasion that Fabinho reject Al-Ittihad's advances. A less risky option would be to sign talents from the Championship such as Camara, who although is unready to start, would provide much needed cover with the addition of being homegrown.
Special thanks to FBref.com and Opta as the main source of the stats. If there are any statistical errors or listed players who signed for other clubs since the time of writing, all I can say is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
TL;DR Florentino Luis
Who Should Liverpool Sign to Complete The Midfield Rebuild? A (Frantic) Look at Several Defensive(ly Astute) Midfielders and Fabinho's (Eventual) Successor
Data / Stats / Analysis
With the signing of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, Liverpool have succeeded in reinvigorating our calamitous midfield after the departure of Keita, Milner, and Ox at the start of the summer transfer window. Now, only one position is left untouched: the number 6 role occupied by Fabinho.
In writing this hopefully I can show what kind of players Liverpool should sign to complete the midfield rebuild. The players listed below, all 36 of them, are all unlikely to sign for us this window; nevertheless, Liverpool are likely to sign similar player/s in the near future with Fabinho not getting any younger in the years to come.
1. Fabinho's Role in Liverpool
To start, let's differentiate a "defensive midfielder" from Fabinho's role, because while the latter is technically the former, the former isn't necessarily an accurate way of portraying the latter. A defensive midfielder is a broad terminology, with a variety of specific roles put together under one umbrella to simplify football discourse. What differentiates a defensive midfielder from let's say, an attacking midfielder, is how involved a midfielder is in defending. So while Bajcetic, Fabinho, Henderson, Milner, and Thiago all occupy distinct roles in Liverpool's midfield, they could all be referred to as defensive midfielders all the same as a result of their defensive contributions.
Bajcetic's best performance in his debut season was the brief period where he played on the left side of a midfield three, with either Fabinho or Thiago playing as the pivot. Milner on the other hand played most of last season on the right side of the midfield three, exchanging positions regularly with Trent in transitions. Fabinho play neither of these roles, yet the three of them are "defensive midfielders" nonetheless.
Bajcetic, Thiago, Fabinho, Henderson, and Milner, 21/22 Liverpool's "defensive midfielders".
Even with how broad the definition is, if someone were to ask you which one is Liverpool's defensive midfielder, your answer is most likely Fabinho. Within the context of Liverpool, we refer to his role as the "defensive midfielder" role, even if in other circumstances we would define players that clearly don't fit the role (e.g. Kante and Kimmich) under the same terminology. The context dependency of the term is present even in this post's title: through the contextual lens of Liverpool, we all understand that the "defensive midfielder" here refer to players that can fit Fabinho's role rather than the broader definition.
Instead of searching for defensive midfielders, in this post I'll refer to what we're searching for as the "number 6" instead. Semantic ambiguities also exist within the "number 6" term, but at the very least we can pinpoint players that can either replace or reinforce Fabinho instead of an entirely different kind of "defensive midfielder".
Normally Fabinho occupy the number 6 as a sole pivot, screening the space in front of the backline and at times charging forward to disrupt opposition build-up play. This role however had evolved in Liverpool's last 10 PL games, introducing Trent as a false full-back effectively as the double pivot in possession. Whether this tactical change will be permanent remain unseen; nevertheless, Klopp employing Trent to support the midfield defensively signal a necessity of reinforcements at the base of the midfield three.
2. Profiling Targets
Usually I'd list the traits of what our targets for the number 6 role should have and list players that fit the description. This post however will be slightly different as I've compiled the data of PL midfielders from FBref and Opta in anticipation of our midfield rebuild. From the data available in FBRef, I can generate charts that evaluate a midfielder's performance within the context of PL standards. Some of you might have already seen these type of charts in the YNWSA comment section before, and the charts do make the task of finding our players easier.
Data courtesy of FBRef and Opta.
First we have three distinct areas that correspond with a player's numbers in attack, in defence, and in possession. The inner dotted line marks the average in the PL, so Casemiro and Rodri for example are pretty average at generating chances, a remarkable feat for players of their role. Players that excel at these specific facets of the game should have their areas beyond the outer dotted line, the line marking an 85th or higher percentile ranking amongst PL midfielders. For Example, Odegaard is very good at creating chances and scoring goals galore, so his chart leans to the upper right with a variety of categories placing above the 85th percentile. Rodri on the other hand is excellent in possession, with remarkably high numbers in all possession category barring successful-take ons. Casemiro as the rock of Manchester United's midfield is excellent in the defensive metrics, ranking high in all category.
Another use for the charts is to visually represent the parameters I would typically use to filter out players. For this instance all we need is a representation of the number 6 role, Fabinho. Obviously watching last season's games, we'd be foolish to use the current Fabinho as our template. Instead, we'll use the title winning 19/20 Fabinho and his last season at Monaco in 18/19 as our base. To add more players into the mix, let's also add Rodri and Tchouameni as part of the templates. Rodri can represent the platonic ideal of a possession-heavy number 6, while Tchouameni as a player strongly linked with Liverpool can represent the type of 6s we've been looking at before his transfer to Real Madrid.
21/22 Tchouameni, 22/23 Rodri, 19/20 Fabinho, and 18/19 Fabinho, the bases for our moulds.
Obviously these players are some of the best defensive midfielders of their respective seasons, so the moulds from these players should be adjusted to favour less skilled players. We should also focus less on the attacking side of their game. What we have then are 4 moulds based on the aforementioned players. To account for number 6s playing in non-possession based teams, we'll also generate 4 more charts discounting the possession-based stats. We'll name these moulds according to the player they're based on: L for Liverpool's Fabinho, M for Monaco's Fabinho, R for Rodri, and T for Tchouameni. The moulds without possession are marked with a "-" to denote their lack of completeness.
Generating player moulds fom Fabinho, Rodri, and Tchouameni. Data courtesy of FBref and Opta.
The only factors left out of the charts are age and height, which we'll filter out separately. To compete with Fabinho's physique we can filter out players under 178 cm tall and over 28 years old. These filters should separate defensive midfielders with inadequate longevity and physicality.
Next, all we need is to filter out defensive midfielders that fit these 8 moulds, easy enough right?The players that fit the initial moulds are:
3. Candidates
Florentino Luis, Lucien Agoume, and Marko Grujic.
Florentino Luis. 23. Benfica.L M T
Lucien Agoume. 21. Inter Milan. L- M- T
Marko Grujic. 27. Porto. L- M- R- T
That's right, out of 3996 players in the Bundesliga, Eredivisie, La Liga, Ligue 1, Premier League, Primeira Liga, and Serie A, only 3 players fit the initial moulds. Benfica's Florentino, Inter's Agoume, and Porto's Grujic. Florentino fits the L, M, and T moulds while Agoume and Grujic fit the T mould. All three players are excellent defensively, with high volume of aerial duels, ground duels, and interceptions. They're also excellent at passing, with higher than average progressive passes and passing volume, and an exceptionally excellent output for Florentino.
Florentino Luis, Lucien Agoume, and Marko Grujic courtesy of FBRef and Opta.
Out of the three, Florentino is the clear favourite. Agoume and Grujic pale in comparison to Florentino in terms of minutes played, starting 14 league matches compared to Florentino's 25 starts. Nevertheless, the two are clearly capable of competing with Fabinho should they sign for Liverpool. Should Fabinho stay as the senior number 6, Agoume would also fit perfectly as his protege before transitioning to regularly starting ahead of him.
3.1. -Candidates
Once we add our initial moulds with their "-" counterparts, the list of players expanded from 3 to 26, and out of the 26 players, these 5 stood out the most among their peers:
Almoatasem Al Musrati, Dani Silva, Edson Alvarez, Leon Goretzka, and Mats Wieffer.
Almoatasem Al Musrati. 27. Braga. L- R-
Dani Silva. 23. Vitoria. L- M- R-
Edson Alvarez. 25. Ajax. L- R-
Leon Goretzka. 28. Bayern Munchen. R- T-
Mats Wieffer. 23. Feyenoord. L- M-
All 5 players fit the defensive requirements of the initial moulds, even if they fall short of fitting the moulds themselves. Alvarez, Goretzka, and Wieffer tend to carry the ball from deep, taking-on players with their excellent ball retention and physicality. This facet of their game made them suitable not only as competition for Fabinho, but also for the number 8 roles, adding tactical flexibility should we sign any of them. Al Musrati and Dani Silva might not have this added aspect to their game, but both of them are still very competent, defensively astute midfielders by their own merits.
Almoatasem Al Musrati, Dani Silva, Edson Alvarez, Leon Goretzka, and Mats Wieffer courtesy of FBref and Opta.
Statistically, Alvarez is the clear choice as the overall leader. The shape of his chart is also remarkably similar to that of Rodri's, indicating a similar role in a possession-dominant Ajax. Personally though, I prefer Wieffer. With a younger age profile and surprisingly excellent shot-creating actions volume, he'd fit better either as a backup for the number 8 role or as Fabinho's protege.
Other than these 5 players, I've also listed 5 players that can fit Liverpool whether Fabinho's departure to Saudi Arabia turn out to be true or not. Should he stay at Liverpool, we need to sign a younger protege for a more well-rounded squad. Should he leave abroad, we need an experienced player to play either as a backup to a younger Fabinho successor, or as a stop-gap starter while Fabinho's successor matures.
3.1.1. Young -Candidates
Eric Martel, Moises Caicedo, Morten Hjulmand, Peer Koopmeiners, and Samu Costa.
Eric Martel. 21. Koln. L- M-
Moises Caicedo. 21. Brighton. L- R-
Morten Hjulmand. 24 Lecce. L-
Peer Koopmeiners. 23. AZ Alkmaar. L- M- R- T-
Samu Costa. 22. Almeria. L-
Players in this category should be very attractive for the club, whether Fabinho were to depart or not. All 5 are excellent defensively, active in winning aerial duels, ground duels, and ball interceptions, albeit at a much lower rate than the aforementioned categories. Their age profile would also mean that should any of them fail to make any impact, we can always defer to the option of loaning or even selling them. Even if most of them play in a different setup to Liverpool's heavy possession system, their age would also mean more time to adapt to the system as opposed to older talents.
Eric Martel, Moises Caicedo, Morten Hjulmand, Peer Koopmeiners, and Samu Costa courtesy of FBref and Opta
Caicedo's experience playing in a possession-dominant team at the top level is expressed fully in the charts, and as expected he's the favourite in this category. There are concerns about his viability as a sole pivot, and should Liverpool prefer a more physically dominant number 6 Hjulmand then emerges as the favourite instead. The other options are also fairly attractive, and for a backup option, affordable to boot.
3.1.2. Experienced -Candidates
Hidemasa Morita, Joao Palhinha, Mikel Merino, Nabil Bentaleb, and Thom Haye
Hidemasa Morita. 28. Sporting. L- R-
Joao Palhinha. 28. Fulham. L-
Mikel Merino. 27. Real Sociedad. R-
Nabil Bentaleb. 28. Angers. L-
Thom Haye. 28. Heerenveen. L-
Rumours of Fabinho and Henderson's departure reverberated around journos with links to the club as of recently. If either or both of them were to leave in the same window, it is imperative for Liverpool to sign seasoned players that can competently fill in multiple position. The priority for this category is simple: not too old yet senior players with ample experience and the ability to fill in for the entire midfield. Accordingly, all of the players above fill these expectations, whether to start as a high-output, defensively competent replacement, or as a useful flexible bench option.
Hidemasa Morita, Joao Palhinha, Mikel Merino, Nabil Bentaleb, and Thom Haye courtesy of FBref and Opta
Real Sociedad's stalwart Merino is the clear favourite for this category, and for good reasons. Whether offensively or defensively, his output is levels above other candidates, and even rivals more suitable candidates mentioned above. Calling him a 6 would infact be a disservice to his attacking output, though the numbers do suggest him as a defensively astute midfielder. Even if we were to sign another midfielder, Merino would still be able to force himself into Klopp's plans, competing with Mac Allister and Szoboszlai in the starting lineup.
3.1.3 Championship -Candidates
Conor Coventry, Etienne Camara, Hamza Choudhury
Conor Coventry. 23. West Ham. L- M- R-
Etienne Camara. 20. Huddersfield. R-
Hamza Choudhury. 25. Leicester. L-
One of the few consistent talking points surrounding our midfield rebuild is the lack of space for registering foreign players under Premier League and UEFA's regulations. One solution in bypassing this issue is expanding our search to the championship, with three players fitting under the -moulds whilst neatly fitting the player's registration regulations.
Conor Coventry, Etienne Camara, Hamza Choudhury courtesy of FBref and Opta
Are they up to Liverpool's standards? Fuck no. But a spare pair of legs is better than Fabinho starting the whole season without a proper physically imposing, ball-winning backup. Camara, the youngest of the three at 20 years old, should be the favourite due to his assumed higher ceiling.
4. Conclusion
After filtering through 3996 players across Europe's top 5 leagues + Eredivisie and Primeira Liga, Benfica's Florentino stood above the rest as the obvious successor to Fabinho. Expanding the filters to include players that doesn't fit the possession-bound moulds presented Ajax's Alvarez instead, with numbers similar to Rodri albeit at a far inferior league.
Should we choose to entertain offers for either Fabinho or Henderson, it's imperative that we also sign an experienced midfielder that can fill in the gaps, such as Merino. A younger more malleable talent such as Caicedo would also be lucrative signing, though, availability and game time might be a hindrance in the occasion that Fabinho reject Al-Ittihad's advances. A less risky option would be to sign talents from the Championship such as Camara, who although is unready to start, would provide much needed cover with the addition of being homegrown.
Special thanks to FBref.com and Opta as the main source of the stats. If there are any statistical errors or listed players who signed for other clubs since the time of writing, all I can say is ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.
TL;DR Florentino Luis
