So far, Liverpool’s midfield rebuild is taking a wondrous shape.
The club has completed the signing of Alexis Mac Allister, who is seen as a dual replacement for Naby Keita and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Whilst Dominik Szoboszlai is finally the attacking threat that mirrors Philippe Coutinho’s midfield creativity, whilst also possessing the attributes to play on the wing.
The Reds are also been heavily linked with Southampton’s Romeo Lavia, as the youngster operates from a deep-lying, defensive pivot berth and would be projected to take over from Fabinho in the future.
The next player tipped to be the latest part of this extraordinary revamp is Federico Valverde.
What’s the latest on Federico Valverde to Liverpool?
According to reports in Spain, the 24-year-old was tempted to depart Los Blancos last summer and Jurgen Klopp became 'obsessed' with this addition and did 'everything possible' to get the deal over the line, even tabling an offer of €80 (£77m).
However, that was never considered by Florentino Perez and was immediately rejected, without even the possibility to negotiate.
The player himself also shunned the move, stating that he didn’t want to leave the Santiago Bernabeu and was “comfortable with life” in the Spanish capital.
Nevertheless, 12 months later, a very different backdrop has reportedly formed as Liverpool is 'convinced' that a move could materialise.
Klopp firmly believes that the Uruguayan would 'fit perfectly' into his style of play and has tipped him to become the star of the team, alongside Mohamed Salah.
Therefore, the six-time European Champions are supposedly readying a new and improved bid to retest the waters.
Why would Federico Valverde be a good signing for Liverpool?
The 49-cap international made a mammoth 56 appearances in all competitions last season, recording 19 goal contributions.
He has established himself as one of Carlo Ancelotti’s most popular, trusted, and influential assets, proving to be an offensive threat and a formidable athlete. This is portrayed by his rank within the top 9% in Europe’s top five leagues among his positional peers for progressive carries per 90, total shots per 90, and non-penalty goals per 90.
Chelsea legend Joe Cole feels that Valverde is an elite footballer and said: “He's standing right at the top of the tree with Bellingham in the young players, and he's on the verge of becoming the best.
“He's box-to-box, he scores goals, he's a technician.
“His stats this year are unbelievable, his goals, assists, goal involvements, incredible player and we talk a lot about Bellingham in this country, but this kid is every bit as good as Bellingham.”
The pundit also highlighted the South American as the “unsung hero” of the 2022 Champions League final, in which he provided the tournament-winning assist for Vinicius Jr against Klopp's side.
Valverde possesses an expertly curated profile that is capable of succeeding Jordan Henderson in the future. The 33-year-old skipper has been at Anfield since 2011 and has appeared on a mind-boggling 492 occasions for the Merseyside outfit.
Nevertheless, the Englishman is slowly declining, as in the 2021/22 season in the top flight he averaged more tackles (1.0 vs 0.9), interceptions (0.7 vs 0.6), key passes (1.1 vs 0.9) per game than in the most recent campaign, as his dynamism and energy are beginning to dwindle.
Whilst Henderson undoubtedly remains an essential component of the dressing room, it would be smart to gradually reduce his involvement in the side and pave the way for the dazzlingly exciting Valverde.
