The defence has stood out, conceding only three goals and keeping five clean sheets, but surprisingly Liverpool’s normally red-hot attack has been misfiring so far this season. The front three will eventually find their feet once again and start to leave defences shaking in their boots, but until then fans have been wondering why this dip in form has occurred. It could be the effect of Liverpool’s past month with high-intensity games coming thick and fast not allowing Jürgen Klopp to rotate the side as much as he would have liked. Others have linked the problem to a lack of creative spark in midfield.
Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum have been Klopp’s preferred midfield three so far and although they are all fantastic pressers none really offer that attacking threat to cause opposing defences trouble.
Last season, Philippe Coutinho, and after he left, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provided Liverpool’s attacking threat from midfield. Their trickery and skill, smooth dribbling and ability to glide past players and either pick out the perfect pass or have a go at goal themselves gave Liverpool another edge. This season that edge is gone.
This won’t be a massive issue for Liverpool throughout the season as Klopp will either tweak his tactics to fix this or the front three will just make it work on their own, but if he chooses to there are a few players Klopp could look to bring in this winner to fix this problem.
#6: Nabil Fekir
This is the most obvious answer. Because of Nabil Ferkir’s recent failed move to Liverpool, the Frenchman will always be linked to a move to Anfield. If it wasn’t for his knee issues Fekir would be a Liverpool player right and this discussion wouldn’t be taking place.
Fekir was a key target for Klopp last summer and it’s clear to see why. The 25 year old scored 18 goals and made 8 assist in the league last season, world class numbers. Fekir offers everything Liverpool need right now. He is the all-round attacking midfielder. His dribbling is mesmerizing, he can pick pinpoint passes both long and short, he has a rocket of a right foot and obviously he has an eye for goal. He would provide that drive from midfield that Liverpool have been lacking so far this season.
He would be the creative drive of the team. Just like Coutinho and Oxlade-Chamberlain last season he would have had the freedom to roam around and be the teams driving force. Fekir would be the perfect signing for Liverpool, but with the way his transfer went down in the summer it’s hard to see Klopp’s point of view changing. Although it would be a match made in heaven Fekir to Liverpool is looking very unlikely.
#5: Aaron Ramsey
Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey is currently in his last year under contract at the Emirates and whether it’s for a cut-price in January or for free in the summer it is looking increasingly likely that Ramsey will soon be ending his decade-long stay at Arsenal.
Not the typical free-flowing attacking player like Fekir is, Ramsey would still be able to add something new to Liverpool’s midfield. Playing solely as a ten this season under Unai Emery the 27-year-old already has a goal and three assists to his name in the league so far. For the past few seasons, Ramsey has been a consistent source of goals for Arsenal and will add more firepower to Klopp’s side.
His contract situation makes this move one that could definitely happen, even in January and his potential arrival will give Liverpool a perfect link from midfield to attack. Ramsey seems like one of the many players who has stagnated at Arsenal in recent years and just like his former teammate Oxlade-Chamberlain, Klopp could be the man to let him lose and tap into the undoubted quality he has.
#4: Hakim Ziyech
Dutch-born Moroccan international Hakim Ziyech has been setting the Eredivisie ablaze for years now. Since his move from Twente to Ajax in the summer of 2016 Ziyech has been arguably the best player in the Netherlands. The 25-year-old scored 7 and assisted 11 in his first season at the Amsterdam Arena and followed that up with an impressive 9 goals and 15 assists last season. On both occasions, Ziyech finished as the league’s top assist provider. This season with 4 goals and 3 assists already to his name Ziyech is on course to have his most productive season yet.
These are fantastic numbers, an output that Liverpool could really use in their midfield right now. Ziyech has everything you would want from your attacking midfielder. Great passing, both long and short, fantastic dribbling in which he can glide past players and get out of tight situations and a canon of a shot, both from open play and on set pieces.
Ziyech would be an exciting purchase for Klopp’s side and one that would take them to the next level. Surely soon big clubs will start to sniff around the 25-year-old and Liverpool should definitely put themselves in the conversation. Ziyech would take Klopp’s side up another level.
#3: Luis Alberto
When most Liverpool fans see the name Luis Alberto they think of one of Brendan Rodgers’ many signings at flopped at Anfield, but the Spaniard has grown past that to be a key player in one of the most exciting sides in the Serie A.
Alberto had a breakthrough season last year managing to score 11 goals and getting 14 assists as Lazio came just shy of qualifying for the Champions League. His 14 league assist also put him just behind Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne (16) and Leroy Sané (15) for most assist in Europe’s top 5 leagues. A truly impressive feat. Alberto has gone under the radar as he has become one of Europe’s most creative players.
Alberto’s was purchased by Rogers in the summer of 2013 but only made 9 league appearances that season. He did manage to register an assist in the league and score a hattrick for the U21s but that wasn’t enough to save his Liverpool career and he was subsequently loaned out for the next two seasons before Lazio brought him to Italy in 2016 for just £4 million.
Now 26, Alberto has developed his game so much in Italy that he would improve this Liverpool side. His ability to play a killer through ball, ease past players and eye for goal will remind a lot of fans of Coutinho. Alberto will bring that sort of creativity to Liverpool’s midfield.
#2: Mario Götze
A familiar face to Klopp, Mario Götze enjoyed the best years of his career under the German at Borussia Dortmund but has fallen on hard times recently. Götze was one of the world’s best young players during his first stint with Dortmund scoring 22 goals and creating another 25 during his three seasons as a first team player. Although a move to Bayern München produced similar numbers, his playing time was reduced, forcing him to head back to Dortmund after three seasons away.
This move seemed like a perfect way to rejuvenate his career, Götze even stated that he regretted moving to Bayern, but the new move quickly turned out to be a disaster. In March 2017 Götze was diagnosed with Myopathy which is a muscle disease that doesn’t allow the muscle fibres to function properly. His massively derailed Götze’s career and he is still feeling the effects of this today.
In this first two seasons back at his boyhood club, Götze played 34 league games scoring 3 goals and assisting 4, hardly setting the world alight like in his first stint. Götze is still only 26 though and he has the time and ability to get back to the player he once was and a move to a meet back up with a former mentor could be the catalyst needed t to reignite that spark.
Since he left Bayern two years ago, Götze has been consistently linked to a move to Klopp’s Liverpool and if there’s anyone who can give Götze that push its the German manager. He oversaw the midfielders best years of his career and it wouldn’t be the first time Klopp has taken a player to the next level. Sometimes all a player needs is the right move, to the right team, at the right time, under the right manager to reach their full potential.
We shouldn’t forget just how amazing Götze was not too long ago. At his best there were very few better-attacking midfielders in the world than the German and Klopp, just like he did when he brought a then 17-year-old Götze into the Dortmund first team, can be the man to bring that world class talent out of him. We’ve seen it before so don’t be surprised if we see it again.
#1: Naby Keïta and Xherdan Shaqiri
All the previously mentioned players are great and would instantly improve Liverpool, but maybe Klopp doesn’t have to look too far to find a creative spark. Maybe that spark is already at the club in the form of two new signings, Naby Keïta and Xherdan Shaqiri. Both players arrived at Anfield this summer and can provide that spark, with a little patience and time.
Keïta was one of the Bundesliga’s most exciting talents during his two years at RB Leipzig. In his two seasons in Germany, Keïta scored 14 goals and made 12 assists, but the most eye-catching part of his game was his dribbling ability. Keïta’s short stature, good balance and speed allow him to just waltz past players as if they aren’t even there and made his drives through the middle unstoppable.
After watching the Guinean international for a year knowing he would be a Liverpool player fans already know what Keïta is all about. All that’s needed right now is for him to fully settle in and get comfortable in Klopp’s system. Whenever that may be, Liverpool will have one of the best midfielders in the world on their hands, one that will dominate games and is able to carve open any defence. He has shown little glimpses of his brilliance in a red shirt and it’s only a matter of time before he gets settled in and starts to terrorize teams.
Shaqiri is also someone Liverpool fans have seen small glimpses of but his situation is a bit more interesting. Shaqiri has been deployed on the wingers so far this season, apart from his only league start of the season, a 3-0 win against Southampton where he was heavily involved in all three goals and played in the midfield three. Despite only playing the first half of that game Shaqiri won the man of the match and fans have been clamouring for him to be played there again ever since. Shaqiri himself has stated his desire to be played in the 10 and it seems like Klopp is grooming him for that position.
Shaqiri’s current situation mirrors that of Oxlade-Chamberlain from last season. Brought in as a winger but slowly developed into a midfielder. Shaqiri has all the attacking traits that made Oxlade-Chamberlain into a great midfielder and just like the currently injured player, Klopp will take his time with Shaqiri until he is absolutely ready to be deployed in midfield.
Liverpool have two midfielders already at the club in Keïta and Shaqiri who with a bit of time can provide Liverpool with the creative spark that seems to be lacking so far this season.
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