Liverpool have made an enquiry over Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde, and there has now been a suggestion the Spanish side may be willing to let him leave this summer…
Who are Liverpool signing this summer?
After the Reds' 1-1 draw against Chelsea in their Premier League opener on Sunday, Jamie Carragher made it clear he believes his former club need to strengthen in two key areas, saying:
"The big worry for me with Liverpool is defensively. The last action sums it up as they had a corner and they nearly conceded a goal at the other end.
"Liverpool need a holding midfielder. They need a real defender, an out-and-out defender who can play right across that back four."
Benjamin Pavard is now emerging as a potential defensive target for Jurgen Klopp, and the Bayern Munich star could fit the bill perfectly, given that he is capable of playing at right-back and centre-back, making him a versatile option.
In terms of holding midfielders, Liverpool have already lost out to Chelsea in the race for Moises Caicedo, and with Romeo Lavia also now poised to move to Stamford Bridge, they have been forced to run the rule over some alternative options.
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According to The Secret Scout, the Reds have now "enquired about the situation" of Aurelien Tchouameni and Valverde, with Real Madrid likely to make one of the midfielders available this summer.
With Caicedo and Lavia off to Chelsea, the Madrid duo are now "of serious interest" to Klopp's side, who have now made their first move by contacting the Spanish side over a potential deal.
It is not detailed which player the La Liga club are set to make available, however, a more recent update from David Ornstein indicates it may be Valverde, with the journalist reporting Tchouameni is not available, saying:
"Liverpool among a number of leading clubs who have long-term admiration for Aurelien Tchouameni but Real Madrid see 23yo France int’l as key player & would not consider his departure, while midfielder has no interest in leaving."
How good is Federico Valverde?
The Uruguayan has established himself as a key player for Real Madrid over the past few seasons, making 34 La Liga appearances in the 2022-23 campaign, during which time he amassed a total of seven goals and four assists.
Lauded as "untouchable" by Los Blancos boss Carlo Ancelotti, the £135k-per-week maestro is also a confident dribbler of the ball, ranking in the 91st percentile for progressive carries per 90 over the past year, when compared to his positional peers.
It is fair to say the central midfielder poses a real threat on the front foot, but you could argue that he is not the signing Liverpool need at this moment in time, as he would not offer much to the side defensively, placing in just the eighth percentile for tackling.
Valverde could help improve the Reds' attacking depth, but Klopp could do with bringing in a like-for-like replacement for Fabinho and Jordan Henderson in the latter stages of the summer transfer window, so it could make sense targeting a player who excels defensively.