Why Liverpool Are Already Trying to Sign £60m Midfielder | OneFootball

Room for One More?

Even last summer as four midfielders walked in through the doors at Anfield, there was a sense of the club’s business being insufficient.

Most of that had to do with the fact that the Reds missed out on Moises Caicedo.

In hindsight, that deal may have proved to have worked out in Liverpool’s favour.

However, the reality is that Liverpool will probably want to bring in another midfielder of Caicedo’s ilk this summer.

The long-term holding midfielder solution will not be Wataru Endo nor Alexis Mac Allister. The former has done a great job, but he’s getting on in years. Meanwhile, the latter is much better utilised further up the pitch.

So, there’s definitely room for one more midfielder at Liverpool this summer, and the Reds could already be on the move to bring him to the club.

What Does Liverpool Need in Their New Midfielder?

To asses what Liverpool needs in a holding midfielder you have to go back and look at what Fabinho did during his prime years at Anfield.

What the Brazilian was really good at was his ability to read the game and anticipate danger. Fabinho simply snuffed out threatening situations and averaged a high volume of interceptions.

To summarise, he was able to break-up the opposition’s offensive transitions and regain possession for Liverpool. This was essential to making Jurgen Klopp’s gegenpressing system work, and to provide an extra protection in front of the back four.

If Amorim is appointed as manager of Liverpool, his holding midfielder will have a similar role, even if the Portuguese manager prefers a back three.

If you look at the likes of Morten Hjulmand or Hidemasa Morita at Sporting CP at the moment – their job is very much similar to Fabinho or Endo under Klopp. They sit deep, and protect the defence.

In addition to that, they also play a key role in progressing the ball high up the pitch, and sending passes through the lines. This was an underrated quality of Fabinho that he maybe didn’t get the credit he deserved for, but in his heyday he was very good at his distribution from deep.

And the truth be told, Liverpool haven’t quite replaced him. Endo has been a sound addition, but he is nothing compared to Fabinho in his prime.

Could Alan Varela be the Answer?

According to reports in Argentina, Liverpool have entered talks to sign Alan Varela from Porto in what could be a £60m deal.

Varela is an interesting player. It’s not the first time he is on Liverpool’s radar either. The Reds’ scouts have watched him back when he was playing back in his homeland for Boca Juniors as well.

At 22-years-old, he plays predominantly as a holding midfielder for Porto this season, and has covered a lot of ground in the middle of the park.

Profile wise he definitely suits Liverpool’s model. He’s young, with a lot of potential and has proven himself in Europe – in a division where Liverpool have recently purchased players from who have done well (Luis Diaz and Darwin Nunez).

What is Alan Varela Like?

First and foremost, Varela ticks the fundamental trait needed for a Liverpool midfielder as described above.

He is very good at reading the game and anticipating danger. This has been one of his standout traits going all the way back to his time at Boca Juniors.

It’s something he has been able to stand-out in since he made the step-up to the Portuguese top flight this season as well.

In Portugal’s top flight, only Stephen Eustáquio averages more adjusted interceptions (8.65 per 90) than Varela (8.06 per 90) among midfielders as per Wyscout.

The fact that Eustáquio is Varela’s teammate at Porto and plays alongside him in a double pivot highlights just how much of an emphasis there is on the duo to snuff out danger and control the middle of the park for Porto.

Therefore, in a defensive sense, Varela would make sense in Amorim’s system, which uses a double pivot and where the emphasis is on the holding midfielders to read and anticipate the passage of play.

Where Varela’s game is not quite the finished article defensively is when it comes to his duels. He wins just 49.61% of his 7.94 duels per 90 and only 48.94% of his 2.17 aerial duels per 90.

Winning and competing in a high volume of duels is important in Amorim’s system, just like it is essential to Klopp’s system as well. Coming to a more physically demanding league like the Premier League, this could be a bit of a concern.

Varela’s Ability in Possession

In possession, Varela again ticks a lot of boxes for Liverpool. Among Porto’s midfielders he averages the most progressive passes (5.91 per 90) in the league this season.

He also makes the most forward passes (16.16 per 90), passes to the final third (9.05 per 90) and the most key passes (0.42).

Sitting deep Varela is able to dictate possession and control the game from midfield. In this way he instigates attacks and very much dominates the ball.

Ability wise the way he masters his possessional play and distribution could be compared to Alexis Mac Allister, who is also very easy on the eye in the way he conducts the rhythm of Liverpool’s midfield this season.

Together they could make a great duo at the heart of Amorim’s midfield for Liverpool next season.

Is Alan Varela Worth the Money?

£60m does seem like a lot of money to spend. However, the defensive midfielder market is a difficult one at the moment, and in comparison to some of the others fees that have been paid, £60m is relatively on the cheap side.

There’s a lot to admire about Varela as well, even if he isn’t the finished product, and bringing him in could be a really smart move for the Reds.