Arne Slot’s Dutch candour has been refreshing across his season-and-a-half at the Liverpool helm, but it’s slightly concerning to note that he has had his side’s problems checked for many months, and still cannot find an answer.
Sure, Liverpool have stopped the rot that spread across their season, eight games unbeaten in all competitions, but that positive is a veneer that covers the plain truth that the Premier League champions are fighting well below their weight class, 15 points behind Arsenal after their win at Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
Change is needed to put the wrongs to rights, and though the defence is leaky and the frontline blunt, the Red midfield have left much to be desired throughout the campaign.
Liverpool's plans to fix their midfield
Ahead of the January transfer window, Sky Sports confirmed that Liverpool are willing to spend on a reliable and commanding centre-midfielder, should the right opportunity comes along.
It would have to be a special player, someone who could contest against the likes of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park and instil control and composure – both have been in short supply.
That man could be Carlos Baleba, with Caught Offside revealing that Liverpool have joined Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in making the midfielder a top target. Initial enquiries have been made, though from which suitors is unspecified at this stage.
Last year, the Cameroonian talent was billed a £100m player. A dip this year – a by-product of his fruitless transfer saga involving Manchester United – has reduced that to £87m, still a towering sum for a rising star with the world at his feet.
It’s widely accepted that Baleba’s days at the AMEX are numbered, with the player pining for a move away. He’ll have no shortage of suitors, so if Liverpool are indeed serious, they will need to act swiftly.
Why Liverpool should sign Carlos Baleba
Baleba has left something to be desired in the Premier League this season. It would be remiss not to acknowledge the fact that the up-and-coming star’s performance levels have dropped.
But he remains one of the most talented and exciting in the business, a veritable powerhouse in the middle of the park who was easily “one of the best midfielders in the league” last year, according to scout and analyst Ben Mattinson.
And given that he’s still so young, Baleba could emulate Moises Caicedo in leaving Brighton and establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s finest, with the Ecuadorian joining the Blues for £111m in 2023, after rejecting Liverpool.
Caicedo vs Baleba
Stats (* per game)
Caicedo (25/26)
Baleba (24/25)
Matches (starts)
15 (14)
34 (31)
Goals
3
3
Assists
1
1
Touches*
70.5
54.0
Accurate passes*
51.3 (91%)
33.6 (88%)
Chances created*
0.6
0.6
Succ. dribbles*
0.5 (47%)
1.0 (62%)
Ball recoveries*
5.7
5.8
Tackles + interceptions*
5.0
3.7
Duels (won)*
5.5 (57%)
5.9 (55%)
Data via Sofascore
A bitter pill to swallow, that one, but Liverpool will feel vindicated after they beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final and then went on to lift the Premier League title. Still, Caicedo is the real deal, and they could finally strike gold with a like-styled star in Baleba.
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Currently plying his trade with his nation at the African Cup of Nations, Baleba had shown signs of returning to form before his sojourn, rediscovering that level that led to such lofty praise.
Liverpool need such a player. They have been stodgy and easy to play through this season, susceptible on the counter and lacking the kind of balance and poise that supercharged Slot’s system last year.
Caicedo was earmarked as the perfect man for the job when Jurgen Klopp was still at the helm, and now Liverpool must belatedly brush off that blow and sign a midfield “beast” in Baleba, as he has been called by journalist Antonio Mango, who has the potential to rival one of the Premier League’s finest.
If Liverpool are serious about reclaiming their position at the forefront of domestic and European football, they need to make ambitious moves, and this would be a bold one indeed.
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