Liverpool have reportedly been the services of Barcelona midfielder Ilaix Moriba, according to 90Min, and talks have already been held with his agents.
While a midfield win over Norwich City was dominated by the Reds, with Naby Keita showing his class in the centre of the pitch, depth is still needed in the event that injuries stack up later this season.
However, there is still a belief that the Reds need new legs in the middle of the park after Gini Wijnaldum moved to PSG for free after his contract expired.
With Renato Sanches reportedly set to undergo an operation on his knee to repair damage to his meniscus, he will no longer be linked with Liverpool.
Now, 90Min reports that the Reds have been in talks with Ilaix Moriba and his representatives after being offered the midfielder’s services.
The 18-year-old, valued at £22.5million, has been banished to the Barcelona reserves after he refused to extend his contract at Camp Nou.
The report suggests that Liverpool have already held talks with Moriba’s agents while West Ham, Leicester, Wolves and Everton have also been offered his services.
His contract expires next summer and it’s unclear how much Barcelona want to sell him for this month, if the Reds really want him, it would be wise to wait until next summer.
Of course, with the teenager already banished to the reserves, it’s clear that leaving the Catalonians is the best course of action for him personally.
Moriba is a bit younger than the 22-25 age group that the Reds typically shop within but if he’s as good as I’ve heard he is, Liverpool paying £15m-£20m to sign the ace this month could be good business.
Liverpool need depth more than they need immediate starting quality and so signing a midfielder like Moriba would be smart.
He has room to grow but won’t be required to start every single game and so can develop at a steady rate while providing Liverpool the depth needed.