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With just a matter of weeks left in the season now, Liverpool can confidently declare last summer's midfield rebuild a success.

Such has the success of the new-look engine room been that it would be extremely difficult to decide which of those three can claim to be the signing of the season.

And yet still, there's a tiny part of you that looks on with a hint of regret as Jude Bellingham, for so long the primary midfield target before Liverpool chose to divide its budget among multiple players, establishes himself as an instant superstar at Real Madrid.

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Broadly, though, Bellingham's name hasn't featured too much on the lips of Liverpool supporters, which perhaps underlines the success of last summer's rebuild.

Look at Manchester United for instance — the record-breaking feats of Erling Haaland at neighbors Manchester City are tinged with an additional agony because it turned down the opportunity to sign him for a paltry $4.9m (£4m/€4.6m) during his days with Norwegian club Molde in 2018 (via The Athletic).

At the start of the season, Chelsea hoped Liverpool would experience a similar envy.

The Blues beat their Premier League rivals in two midfield transfer battles, successfully convincing Moisés Caicedo to snub the Reds even after they agreed a $134m (£110m/€127m) deal with Brighton, and then completing the sucker-punch by snatching Roméo Lavia in a $71m (£58m/€66m) deal too.

But so far, Liverpool has been given little cause of jealousy.

It would perhaps be unfair to declare that Liverpool made a lucky escape with Lavia — we simply don't know if the same injury problems would have occurred had he made the move to Anfield.
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