Liverpool made three mega bids this summer for three different midfielders - Klopp will eventually sign a marquee mid

Liverpool reportedly made three mega bids this summer for three different midfielders as Jurgen Klopp looked to bolster his midfield options.

The players in question are all top players and all would have cost a hefty fee; there was the failed attempt at signing Aurélien Tchouaméni from Monaco, the Jude Bellingham talks and a surprise bid for their Champions League conqueror Federico Valverde.

With fans demanding that their side sign a midfielder this summer, they perhaps didn't realise that work was going on behind the scenes to secure a top name.

It wasn't to be this summer, but the door is certainly still open for Jude Bellingham at least, with the other two firmly placed at Real Madrid.

Liverpool mega bid for all three failed

Considering Tchouameni and Valverde are both at Madrid, they are certainly two players that got away. The pull of Madrid was too much for Liverpool, who lost out to Los Blancos in the final of the Champions League last season.

Now he's the first-choice starter as the defensive midfielder with Casemiro gone and it looks like the right choice for his career. With Valverde, there was a time where he could have been available, given that Madrid had an abundance of midfield options.

Options that increased when Tchouameni signed with Casemiro still at the club at the time. However, his key role at right wing and his assist in the final cemented the Uruguayan as a key Madrid player, leaving Liverpool in the dark.

Bellingham is still available and Madrid will go toe-to-toe to secure his signing as they look to build a midfield for many years to come with Eduardo Camavinga and Tchoumeni. Perhaps Liverpool can offer a guaranteed starting place, whereas at Madrid Toni Kroos and Luka Modric continue to defy their advancing ages.

Liverpool clearly recognise the need for midfield talent

Liverpool made an early summer bid for Tchouameni and the Frenchman is already showing why Jurgen Klopp was so desperate to sign him.

Bellingham was always the main target in midfield and still is but the interest in Federico Valverde is very interesting even if it was ultimately fruitless.

Liverpool are clearly after an industrious but technically proficient central midfielder.

They ultimately got one in Arthur Melo on a season-long loan with an option to buy so it's going to be fascinating to see how he does.

A midfield of Thiago, Fabinho and Arthur should be a go-to for Klopp even when his injury crisis has abated - if it ever does.

10 players are now absent through injury but Thiago is back and Fabio Carvalho is also back in training.