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Arne SlotThe Dutch franchise has been refreshing throughout its season and a half in the championship. Liverpool at the helm, but it’s a little worrying that he’s had his team’s problems checked out for many months and still can’t find an answer.
Sure, Liverpool have ended the rot that has spread throughout their season, going eight games unbeaten in all competitions, but that positive is a veneer that hides the plain truth that the Premier League The champions are fighting well below their weight class, 15 points behind Arsenal after their victory at Bournemouth on Saturday evening.
A change is needed to right the wrongs, and although the defense is unfocused and the front line blunted, the Reds’ midfield has left much to be desired throughout the campaign.
Before the January transfer window, Sky Sports confirmed that Liverpool are willing to spend on a reliable and imposing midfielder, if the right opportunity presents itself.
It would take a special player, someone who could compete with players like Alexis MacAllister And Ryan Gravenberch in the middle of the park and instill control and calmness – both are rare.
This man could be Carlos Balebawith Caught offside tellingly that Liverpool have joined Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in making the midfielder a top target. Initial investigations have been carried out, but the suitors have not been specified at this stage.
Last year, Cameroonian talent was charged a player £100m. A drop this year – a by-product of his unsuccessful transfer saga involving Manchester United – reduced that amount to £87 million, still a huge sum for a rising star with the world at his feet.
It is widely believed that Baleba’s days at the AMEX are numbered, with the player eager to move away. There will be no shortage of suitors, so if Liverpool are truly serious, they will need to act quickly.
Baleba has left something to be desired in the Premier League this season. It would be remiss not to acknowledge the fact that the rising star’s performance levels have plummeted.
But he remains one of the most talented and exciting in the business, a real 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 he is still so young, Baleba could emulate Moises Caicedo by leaving Brighton and establishing himself as one of the Premier League’s best, with the Ecuadorian joining the Blues for £111m in 2023, after rejecting Liverpool.
|
Caicedo vs. Baleba |
||
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics (* per match) |
||
|
Matches (departures) |
15 (14) |
34 (31) |
|
Goals |
3 |
3 |
|
Aids |
1 |
1 |
|
Keys* |
70.5 |
54.0 |
|
Precise passes* |
51.3 (91%) |
33.6 (88%) |
|
Opportunities created* |
0.6 |
0.6 |
|
Suc. dribble* |
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 beating Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final and then winning the Premier League title. Still, Caicedo is the real deal, and they could finally strike gold with a star of the same style in Baleba.
Currently plying his trade with his country at the Africa Cup of Nations, Baleba had shown signs of returning to form before his stay, returning to that level which had earned him so much praise.
Liverpool need such a player. They’ve been heavy and easy to play with this season, susceptible to counterattacks and lacking the kind of balance and composure 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 erase that move and sign a “beast” of a midfielder in Baleba, as Baleba called him. journalist Antonio Mangowho has the potential to rival one of the best in the Premier League.
If Liverpool are serious about reclaiming their position at the forefront of domestic and European football, they need to take ambitious steps, and that would be bold indeed.