With it unclear whether Liverpool will finally agree to a deal to sign top target Jude Bellingham next summer, there are some interesting alternatives.
In less than a year, Jurgen Klopp’s midfield complexion could be very different.
Three senior options are set to see their contracts expire on July 1, with James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita all due to depart as free agents.
Meanwhile, Thiago, Jordan Henderson and Fabinho will get another year, while questions remain over Curtis Jones’ place alongside Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho and Stefan Bajcetic in the future.
Widespread and frequent reports have named Bellingham as Liverpool’s priority target for 2023, which is certainly understandable given his age, quality, experience and potential.
But given that all the big European clubs are likely to be in touch with Dortmund over a deal that could top £100m, it would be wise to draw up a list of alternatives.
Although not exhaustive, Liverpool’s recruiting staff will rely on statistics to identify and narrow down their targets, which is where, for those who can’t access the more sophisticated databases, FBref comes into play.
Based on their numbers, the following 10 players are the most similar to Bellingham in terms of production, including a current Liverpool player and two known targets:
1. Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Inter Milan) – 33, CM/AM 2. Konrad Laimer (RB Leipzig) – 25, CM 3. Brais Méndez (Real Sociedad) – 25, CM/LM/RW 4. Naby Keita (Liverpool) – 27, CM 5 Sergej Milinkovic-Savic (Lazio) – 27, CM 6 Adrien Thomasson (Strasbourg) – 28, CM/AM 7 Teun Koopmeiners (Atalanta) – 24, DM/CM 8 Florian Neuhaus (Borussia Monchengladbach) – 25, CM /AM 9. Ibrahima Sissoko (Strasbourg) – 24,DM/CM/CB 10. Pedri (Barcelona) – 19,CM
The list is interesting, not least because of the inclusion of Keita, a player already on Liverpool’s books, and both Konrad Laimer and Florian Neuhaus.
Ahead of the deadline to sign Arthur on loan from Juventus, the Reds weighed up a possible move for the RB Leipzig midfielder, although the feeling is that the Austrian will see out the final months of his contract before joining Bayern Munich.
Neuhaus emerged as a target for Liverpool before Gini Wijnaldum’s move to Paris Saint-Germain, only for a move never to come to fruition.
On the other hand, it stands to reason that both Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Pedri would be discredited, particularly given the latter’s status at Barcelona and the €1bn release clause in his contract.
Like Mkhitaryan, 33, Strasbourg midfielder Adrien Thomasson can be considered too old at 28, which could also be the case for Sergej Milinkovic-Savic at Lazio, who turns 28 in February.
However, there are two more interesting candidates, Real Sociedad’s Brais Mendez and Atalanta’s Teun Koopmeiners, especially given their scoring threat from midfield.
Whether Liverpool would consider any of the 10 names on the list remains to be seen, but there is always value in statistical comparison when exploring potential alternatives.
