Liverpool are planning to bolster their midfield over the next few months in order to get the team back on their pedestal at the top of the Premier League table and competing for trophies as soon as possible.
The Reds have suffered their worst start to a season in a decade due to the inconsistent and, frankly, awful performances on the pitch over the campaign so far – with the side falling into sixth in the league table ahead of the World Cup break.
Jurgen Klopp and the powers at Anfield have been pushing to complete deals for Enzo Fernandez and Jude Bellingham over the last few weeks to spark a youthful revolution in the centre of the pitch with the current crop either out of contract next summer or reaching the latter stages of their careers.
Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson and Thiago Alcantara are both well into their 30s at this point, whilst Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James are due to end their journey with the Merseysiders when their current deals expire in the summer.
As a result, the signing of both Bellingham and Fernandez would be outstanding business for the Reds to complete considering the club’s owners are renowned for their tight spending and strict wage structure.
It is reported that Fernandez has a £103m release clause that Liverpool will need to meet if they want to secure the young player’s services in 2023, but what if Liverpool could acquire a similar high-quality midfielder for the fraction of the price?
One player who has surprisingly been linked with a move to Merseyside this week is Tottenham Hotspur and Uruguay midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, a player who could be exactly what Klopp is looking for in the next generation of his team.
The talented 25-year-old, who was dubbed a “massive talent” by football writer Rupert Fryerranks, sits in the top 20% of his positional peers across the top five European leagues for assists, pass completion and clearances over the last 12 months, and this season has been an integral player in Antonio Conte’s team.
Over 14 Premier League appearances, the midfielder – who is valued at £50m by his club – has scored four goals, registered two assists and completed 69% of his dribbles, as well as averaging 64.1 touches, 1.3 interceptions, 2.6 tackles and winning 5.1 duels per game.
Not only that, Bentancur has been representing Uruguay alongside Liverpool striker Darwin Nunez at the World Cup in Qatar and was a stand-out performer in the team.
Over three World Cup appearances, the former Juventus ace successfully completed 60% of his dribbles and won 63% of his duels combined, whilst averaging 2.3 interceptions, three tackles and 1.3 clearances per game, proving that he is a reliable and consistent performer at both club level and under the pressures of the international stage too.
It would surely take a lot of convincing for Spurs to part ways with one of their key players, especially to a club that will rival them for a top-four spot over the second half of the season.
However, if the Reds could secure the signing of Bentancur it would be a big coup and surely a cheaper alternative to the Argentine talent Fernandez.