Liverpool submit bid to sign their new version of Fabinho

Whenever Liverpool looked to have turned a corner this season, a demoralising loss then occurs.

Back in November, after humbling Real Madrid 1-0 in the Champions League, Arne Slot‘s Reds fell victim to two devastating 3-0 losses on the bounce in the Premier League to Manchester City and Nottingham Forest.

Fast forward to the New Year, and a similarly bleak script is playing out, with Liverpool coming away from their trip to AFC Bournemouth empty-handed, courtesy of a last-gasp winner from Amine Adli, having confidently beaten Marseille 3-0 in Europe’s elite competition just days earlier.

Slot will feel he needs somewhat of a rebuild in the summer, as the reigning top-flight champions continue to show chinks in their armour, with the possibility of some January signings also not off the table.

Liverpool looking at new midfielder

At the close of the dramatic 3-2 defeat, Sky Sports’ Jamie Redknapp highlighted the injury crisis at Anfield as a major concern, with the likes of Ibrahima Konate and Conor Bradley sidelined at the back, as Joe Gomez also limped off on the South Coast.

To fix some of these issues plaguing their defence, with Andrew Robertson also potentially on the move, Liverpool have reportedly set their sights on Tottenham Hotspur titan Micky Van De Ven as a long-term solution.

Advertisement

It’s not just in defence where Slot’s stuttering side will be contemplating an overhaul, with reports from Spain suggesting that Liverpool have tabled an £87m offer in the direction of Real Madrid for midfield anchor Aurelien Tchouameni.

The report states that the Premier League giants see the Frenchman as the ‘ideal candidate’ to lead their midfield ranks for many years to come, as the likes of Alexis Mac Allister continue to falter.

Spurs are further named as another outfit wanting to snap up the Los Blancos number 14, but Liverpool will hope they can splash the cash again to land another coveted target, as Tchouameni potentially becomes Fabinho 2.0 on Merseyside.

How Tchouameni could be Fabinho 2.0

While the trophy-laden days of Jurgen Klopp at Anfield are often remembered for the spellbinding attackers such as Mohamed Salah in his prime, or both Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane slamming home the goals, Fabinho’s presence during these dizzy heights goes by a bit more understated.

But, he was present throughout all of Liverpool’s major successes under Klopp, with all 219 of his Reds’ appearances falling under the German, leading to the Brazilian being a crucial cog that allowed his high-intensity employers to lift the Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup.

During the memorable title-winning 2019/20 season, Fabinho barely put a foot wrong with the ball at his feet, averaging an unerring 87% pass accuracy when called into action.

As Klopp himself would put it, the 30-time Brazil international “loved to be the hoover for the team”, which resulted in the more exuberant personnel then being handed the “freedom to play.”

Yet, Fabinho could also pull off the audacious if necessary, whether that be via a long ball forward, or smashing home an effort from long-range, leading to the 32-year-old tallying up 11 goals and 11 assists from his long string of Anfield games.

Tchouameni will pray that he can be a cog of a similar ilk to the much-loved number three if he is to swap the Spanish capital for Liverpool shortly, with his time at Real Madrid to date indicating he has what it takes to become a dependable midfield stalwart for Slot.

After all, his former boss in the form of Xabi Alonso, boldly states that the always solid Frenchman “defined” his system at the Santiago Bernabeu, with the 25-year-old ready to offer his services as a reliable midfield performer to Liverpool, as they crave a stalwart like Fabinho, away from relying on Mac Allister.

Also herladed as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” by analyst Raj Chohan, he even has the beating of Ryan Gravenberch in certain areas of their respective midfield games, with his ability to be both precise and skilful with the ball at his feet, but also combative and determined to win the ball back, backing up comments that he is a “one-man army” in the middle of the park by scout Jacek Kulig.

It will cost Liverpool a pretty penny to get the deal done, with £87m pushing the Real Madrid star into being one of the club’s most expensive buys.

Still, it could prove to be a great move to get done, if Tchouameni goes on to be Slot’s own version of Fabinho, as the Reds strive to get back to their intimidating title-winning best.

Related

Liverpool now preparing to launch shock move to sign instant Robertson replacement

The Reds are already planning for life without their defender.

Advertisement