Assessing Liverpool’s Potential Number Six Options | OneFootball

By Joe Durrans

It is apparent that Arne Slot lacks backup options when it comes to defensive midfielders, his current double pivot of Gravenberch and Mac Allister holds the perfect balance between grit and footballing ability.

Slot is a manager who likes his midfielders to pick the ball up in the second phase of play which means that he does not currently use a Rodri-type destroyer that will sit in front of the defence and take the pressure off the backline. Instead, he likes them to carry the ball out of tight spaces and always look to move the ball forward.

A good option would be a Quinten Timber, this is a man that Slot is familiar with from his Feyenoord days. He is a physical midfielder who is finally escaping the shadow of his twin brother Jurrien Timber of Arsenal. His star season was 22/23 under Arne Slot where he racked up 7 goals and 9 assists. He thrives when it comes to his decision-making and how quickly he can shift the ball out of danger to keep an attack flowing, he ranked in the 99th percentile for completed through balls in the Eredivisie that season which highlights him as a target that can definitely help Liverpool move from phase 1 to phase 3 much more fluidly. He is also a very strong dribbler which matches the profile of Gravenberch as he sees opportunities to drive his team forward many times a game and almost always ends up creating something dangerous, he ranks in the 85th percentile for progressive carries and the 93rd percentile for carries into the opposition penalty box. He is a 5’10 stocky midfielder, so the only downside may be that if he is brought in to be the backup to Gravenberch the midfield will be losing some height but that does not mean he is in any way physically weak as he uses his body extremely well.

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The next option is Enzo Barrenechea who has joined Valencia on loan from Aston Villa this season and he has outlined himself as the potential future of Argentina’s midfield. He is slightly different to what the current midfield has within it, this is because he is more of a deep-lying playmaker who has an immense understanding of the game, he has a Busquets-like way to how he is constantly scanning his shoulders to plan his next move. He would be used as an upgrade on what Endo does when he comes on, he would be brought on to control a game and ensure that Liverpool dictates the tempo towards the end of a game. Furthermore, he is a very disciplined midfielder who stays very central and remains in front of his backline to ensure he does not leave them exposed. However, that does not mean he is not creative, he is very capable of opening up teams with his incredible passing range and vision with him completing 86% of his passes. He is also a player that can be used against better opponents to ensure they do not lose the midfield battle and become overrun, placing Barrenechea next to Gravenberch would give Liverpool one of the most intelligent and physically dominating midfielders in the league.

Lamine Camara is up next who is a 21-year-old Senegalese midfielder that has been labelled as Senegal’s most promising player since Sadio Mane. He gets stuck into challenges across the pitch and has the intensity to cope with Arne Slot’s system, not only is he a workhorse he also has a brilliant footballing brain with the ability to unpick teams with his creativity. He would most likely play as a backup to Mac Allister as he thrives when he is allowed to unpick defences in more advanced positions. The main issues with him as it stands I that he is quite lightweight and is partial to a yellow card, but these are things that he can be coached out of his game. His hunger to improve will see him learn how to use his body to help him evade high-pressure and physical opposition midfielders. Camara is a midfielder who is not afraid to get on the ball averaging 80 touches per game and 50 successful passes, he also has an eye for spreading the play averaging 3.35 long balls a game which would help the Reds unlock the speed of both Salah and Diaz.

A cheaper option that has already been dominating the Championship this season, is Ao Tanaka. He is a very active midfielder who averages 90 touches on the ball each game, he is also very effective as only 10% of his touches see him losing the ball. As the deepest midfielder in a possession-based team, he measures risk and reward perfectly, he is also a very secure player in tight spaces with the eye to move the ball forward to make something happen as opposed to just playing the safe passes. He would be a good fit for Arne Slot as it would allow Liverpool to commit more players in attack as he loves to sit in front of the back line and make sure the game keeps ticking over. This would mean that along with Szoboszlai, Mac Allister of Gravenberch could make their way forward to be another option in the box without leaving the team exposed. The 26-year-old has surprised many this season not only with his unwavering confidence on the ball but also his tenacity off the ball to ensure that he can maintain stability for Leeds. Tanaka not only thrives as a gritty midfielder, but as a hardworking one too. He also shows glimpses of sheer attacking quality for example his goal against Hull in the Championship.

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Next up is an existing Liverpool youngster. Stefan Bajcetic. When the young Spaniard broke through under Jurgen Klopp he was destined for greatness, following his man-of-the-match performance in his first-ever Merseyside derby. He is a very calm and dominant midfielder who offered the Reds a very reassuring option in a tough period of time. His ability on the ball is reflected by his composure and how intelligent he is for such a young player. In the Merseyside derby, he covered 11.41km of the pitch, which dominated any other player on the pitch and showed the experienced pair Henderson and Fabinho next to him. He can be a very valuable player for Slot’s team since he is extremely versatile and is able to play right-back and centre-back as well. His agile nature combined with his engine plasters him as the perfect backup to Ryan Gravenberch as he can negotiate his way out of trouble on the half turn whilst also being a physical presence that can help the Reds to dominate sides going into the future. Despite his obvious quality he has struggled to get going on his loans at both Salzburg and Las Palmas this is due to him not being in a high-tempo environment where his engine allows him to dominate teams and give teams a midfield advantage.

Finally, we have the Brazilian sensation from Atalanta, Ederson. He is a player who excels when he feels confident with his midfield partner since he is known for his unpredictability and unorthodox play for a number 6. He would be very good for Liverpool since he is not fixated on protecting the back four, instead he picks the ball up higher up the pitch and looks to carry his team forward with carries, passes and one-twos. He compares to Gravenberch in many ways, but mainly with his bullish frame and his intention to take the ball on the half-turn and take his team through the phases of play. His main issue is that he is not a very explosive midfielder so he may slow down the transition of an Arne Slot team, but he will definitely be able to evade this by using his footballing brain and incredibly strong stature on the ball. He is a player who does the simple things extremely well, like his short passing, and angles of his body whilst pressing but he definitely lacks the complex skills like a long switch of play to escape danger, whilst also being a bit on the slow side which could leave the Reds exposed at times. Despite this, he is a fairly young midfielder with plenty of time to coach these issues out of his game.

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The likes of Angelo Stiller, Alan Varela and João Gomes have all also been linked an various times so therefore could be viable options for The Reds this summer.

Whilst the identity remains unclear, it seems a certain non-negotiable is that Richard Hughes and co must go into the market in order to find someone to understudy Gravenberch on a more consistent basis.