Liverpool cannot sign Jude Bellingham until 2023 due to Borussia Dortmund’s transfer policy of sanctioning one marquee exit per summer.
So signing Ibrahim Sangare this summer and Bellingham in 2023 should be their approach.
The Ivorian is available for £29M which is a great price for a player that would boost Jurgen Klopp’s midfield massively.
Liverpool might need to reinforce their midfield to have another shot at a swashbuckling season
If Klopp has proved anything over the last two seasons is that he doesn’t always need new signings to achieve amazing results.
But, it can be argued that failure to win the Premier League last season can be at least partially attribute to midifield issues early in the season after Georginio Wijnaldum.
There’s a school of thought that suggests if Dutchman had been at Liverpool last season, the Reds would have had the staying power necessary to clinch a second league title in three seasons.
Thiago battled for fitness at the start of last season while Naby Keita almost missed games due to injury. Fabinho and Jordan Henderson also contracted COVID-19 at inopportunte moments before the New Year.
Had Liverpool signed a midfielder to replace Wijnaldum or retained his services, things may have been different as Manchester City’s midfield ultimately proved to be the difference on the final day of the season with Rodrid, Ilkay Gundogan and Kevin De Bruyne combining to beat Aston Villa 3-2.
Jude Bellingham can’t sign until 2023
With Dortmund refusing to sell Bellingham until the summer of 2023, there’s only one thing that Liverpool can do – agree a deal to sign him at the end of next season.
It’s reported by the Athletic that Liverpool won’t be put off by the €120million (£103million) price tag slapped on the Englishman’s head.
With that in mind, sporting director Julian Ward should negotiate a deal in advance to secure the midfielder’s signature ahead of the competition instead of waiting for a bidding war to ensue.
Milner and Ox could be in their last seasons at Anfield
Liverpool signed Milner to a one-year contract extension this summer and he has shown his commitment even late into his 30s by proving he is the fittest player at the club by beating his younger teammates during the lactate test – the 8th time since signing in 2015.
But he can’t play for Liverpool forever and will likely leave the club next summer.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is facing a similarly decisive year in his career as his terms expire next year and if he cannot prove he is worthy of an extension, he will leave for pastures new.
But that will leave Liverpool needing to make multiple midfield signings when the 2022/23 season ends.
The solution?
Liverpool should sign a new midfielder this summer as well as Jude Bellingham in 2023
There are many realistic options for Liverpool to consider this summer but the clock is ticking as the Premier League season starts in less than a month.
Reliably informed journalists have routinely made it clear that Liverpool won’t make stop-gap signings.
So whoever comes in as part of this hypothetical scenario would need to be a player that Jurgen Klopp wants and views as key to the future of the club.
Despite the talent coming through in Harvey Elliott and Fabio Carvalho, neither is a box to box midfielder.
Klopp played Elliott in an attacking-midfield role in the early stages of last season to great effect before he suffered a terrible ankle ligament injury.
However, he struggled in the same position against more intense opposition in the Champions League, being withdrawn at half-time against Inter Milan.
Could Ibrahim Sangare be the final piece in Liverpool’s transfer puzzle?