Liverpool set to take January risk as Klopp admits scouting for £30m midfield fix

There’s a compelling argument for Liverpool to make a midfield signing in the January transfer window, rather than waiting until the summer. An overhaul is needed in that department next year, but it may be smart to conduct it over two windows rather than one.

Liverpool always seems to have around three midfielders unavailable for selection at any given time — Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Naby Keïta, and Arthur all missed the game against Manchester City at the weekend, for instance — so they may well need to reinforce that department with a reliable but high-quality mid-season addition if they are to make something of the current campaign.

And an intriguing option has now emerged that might just fit that bill. Atlético Madrid, according to MARCA, needs to sell players to balance their books and could look to offload Rodrigo de Paul after he angered president Enrique Cerezo and manager Diego Simeone.

Granted leave to visit a poorly family member, De Paul is also alleged to have attended a ‘festive event’ a few hours before Atlético’s game against Sevilla at the start of this month. The club has publicly been silent on the issue but privately, the report states, they are ‘bothered’ by it, having already issued ‘several reprimands’ to De Paul.

In the circumstances, then, he’s a prime candidate to be sold in January in order to address Atlético’s financial needs.

Los Rojiblancos paid £30m to sign De Paul from Udinese just last year, but before that, he was repeatedly linked with Liverpool by outlets such as Messaggero Veneto and Sport Mediaset (via Sport Witness).

The Reds, then, appear to have an opportunity to land a midfielder who clearly fits the Jürgen Klopp mold, having already been tracked by their scouts.

There are some concerns, not least the alleged attitude problems mentioned above, though it’s worth noting that similar fears were raised about Keïta in his final season at RB Leipzig, and he appears to have avoided any disciplinary issues at Anfield.

There will also be those, however, who legitimately argue that Liverpool should focus on lowering the age profile of their midfield. Aged 28, De Paul would admittedly be a medium-term rather than long-term addition.

On the other hand, though, the Argentine does seem to meet the aforementioned ‘reliable but high-quality’ requirement.

Last season, he featured in 36 of Atlético’s 38 La Liga matches, while he played 34, 37, and 34 respectively across his three seasons at Udinese from 2016 to 2019. That’s an excellent track record of availability — a quality Klopp is sorely lacking in his Liverpool midfield.

There are some concerns, not least the alleged attitude problems mentioned above, though it’s worth noting that similar fears were raised about Keïta in his final season at RB Leipzig, and he appears to have avoided any disciplinary issues at Anfield.

There will also be those, however, who legitimately argue that Liverpool should focus on lowering the age profile of their midfield. Aged 28, De Paul would admittedly be a medium-term rather than long-term addition.

On the other hand, though, the Argentine does seem to meet the aforementioned ‘reliable but high-quality’ requirement.

Last season, he featured in 36 of Atlético’s 38 La Liga matches, while he played 34, 37, and 34 respectively across his three seasons at Udinese from 2016 to 2019. That’s an excellent track record of availability — a quality Klopp is sorely lacking in his Liverpool midfield.

The CIES Football Observatory values him at £52.2m, but you can imagine him leaving for closer to the £30m transfer fee Atlético initially paid.

As for his wages, £113,000 per week (sourced via FBRef) looks manageable for Liverpool, particularly if the out-of-contract £120,000-per-week duo of Keïta and Oxlade-Chamberlain leaves in the summer.

De Paul, then, might be back on Liverpool’s radar, with Klopp potentially set to cast a close eye over the playmaker at the World Cup.