Liverpool’s Summer Rebuild: Defence First, Then Starters
Liverpool are being linked with a raft of defenders, but the bigger question is how the club replaces potential exits across the spine, especially in midfield and on the wing.
If Robertson, Gomez and Konate really are on the way out, then this summer becomes a proper rebuild at the back. We already look a man light there at times, and with Bradley unlikely to be back until well into next season, it is not hard to see why the recruitment focus feels defensive-first.
Versatility at the back makes sense
The links I actually like are the ones that scream flexibility. Joaquin Seys, Oscar Mingueza and Lutsharel Geertruida all appeal because they can cover multiple roles, and that matters when you are trying to rebuild a unit without buying a whole new XI.
If they are genuinely available at relatively low fees, it is the sort of smart squad-building that usually suits us. Mingueza being out of contract, in particular, is the kind of opportunity you expect a well-run club to at least explore.
A proper starter, not another option
On the bigger-money side, the point about Jeremy Jacquet is simple enough: if you are paying £60m for a centre-half, he is not coming in to sit on the bench. We do not tend to spend that sort of fee on a back-up defender, so the expectation would be that he replaces Konate directly in the starting XI.
That is why the rest of the defensive work has to be about depth and profiles, not just names. You need players who can rotate across full-back and centre-half without the whole structure wobbling.
Midfield and wide areas cannot be ignored
The other big worry is that it might not stop with the defence. If Endo, Mac Allister, Chiesa and Salah also go, then we are not talking about a tweak, we are talking about rebuilding key parts of the side.
I can see why there is faith in Nyoni and Rio taking on bigger squad roles, especially if it helps cover for the minutes Endo and Chiesa have not really been getting anyway. But even with that, you still need at least one starting winger and one starting midfielder to keep the level where it needs to be.
Wharton over a teenager as the weekly answer
For me, Yan Diomande and Adam Wharton are the kind of signings that would actually change the feel of the team: more balance in midfield, more pace out wide, and a clearer long-term plan for the starting XI.
That is also why I am not keen on some of the other links. Read does not sound like he solves the right-back fitness issue, Senesi looks the wrong fit if he is slow and only plays left centre-half, and Barcola feels like too much disruption for not enough of an upgrade on what we already have.
As for Bouaddi, I do like the idea of him as a player, but asking an 18-year-old to run a Premier League midfield every week is a massive demand. Fabregas is the only one that springs to mind who handled that level that young without looking out of place. Even Gerrard had spells being moved around while he learned. Maybe Bouaddi is special, but if the job is replacing Mac Allister, Wharton is the one I would go all in on.
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