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Liverpool are once again in the market for a defensive midfielder just a year after missing out on the signing of Romeo Lavia.
The Reds have a new manager at the helm in Arne Slot having plucked the Dutchman to replace Jurgen Klopp.
Slot worked wonders at Feyenoord but now faces a leap in terms of expectations levels at Anfield.
Pre-season has been a positive experience on the pitch with Liverpool taking to Slot’s methods admirably.
Harvey Elliott loves Slot’s approach, bringing more of a possession-based style to Liverpool after the all-action Klopp era.
Results have looked good with wins over the likes of Real Betis, Arsenal, Manchester United and Sevilla, but one major problem has emerged.
Liverpool have been looking to sign a holding midfield player this summer with Wataru Endo not really an ideal fit under Slot.
Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images
The Reds moved for Martin Zubimendi but he now looks set to stay at boyhood club Real Sociedad.
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Liverpool may pivot elsewhere but it currently looks like Slot may go through the whole summer window without a signing.
This feels somewhat similar to last summer as Liverpool attempted to sign a holding midfield player, but the chase became something of a farce.
Liverpool wanted Moises Caicedo but saw him join Chelsea instead, before Romeo Lavia made the same move to Stamford Bridge despite Anfield interest.
Theo Walcott now feels that the 20-year-old would have been better off joining Liverpool.
Walcott played alongside Lavia at Southampton and has told BBC Radio Five Live’s Monday Night Club that he thinks Liverpool were the ‘perfect club’ for Lavia.
Walcott now worries that Lavia will be lost in the shuffle at Chelsea and won’t have the important role he could have had at Liverpool.
“I played with Lavia at Southampton, who is a very talented footballer, very talented,” said Walcott.
There was talk of him going to Chelsea and Liverpool, and I thought, ‘right, as a player, Liverpool would be the perfect club for you right now’.
I always like to keep an eye on players I played with and I always like them to do well, any player but particularly players that are good lads, work hard and want to learn.”
“I just felt Liverpool was the perfect club for him at that time in his career if he was going to move on.
I’m worried that he then will be one of those Chelsea players that will just be gone and you won’t hear much of him.
That’s the bit about the Chelsea players now; the amount of players they are signing, there are good players who just won’t get a chance.
They just won’t be seen or sent on loan to lower league clubs and then not seen at Chelsea again,” he added.
Lavia endured an injury nightmare last season and managed just one appearance in all competitions.
The midfielder featured against Crystal Palace in December 2023 but that was all Chelsea fans saw of him.
Now coming back once again, Lavia is looking to impress new Chelsea boss Enzo Maresca – the man he played under in City’s development ranks.
That could help Lavia but he still faces a major battle for first-team action at Stamford Bridge.
Caicedo and Enzo Fernandez should continue to play a key role whilst Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has arrived.
Dewsbury-Hall should play an important role having followed Maresca from Leicester to West London, leaving Lavia with a fight for first-team action.
Perhaps Lavia would be primed for action under Slot at Liverpool, but he must now focus on keeping himself fit and carving out an important role at Chelsea following a lost first year at the club.
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