Liverpool might be about to take major Jude Bellingham gamble this summer

Published date13 August 2022
Publication titleLiverpool Echo: Web Edition Articles (England)
For the second summer running, the German has had it repeatedly put to him that his squad needs something more to compete for the highest honours. Last year he grew frustrated at being told he was making a mistake not signing a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, given he had eight senior options at his disposal. That ocet would reward his faith by nearly landing an unprecedented quadruple

Whether your glass is half full or half empty will determine how you look back upon the Reds’ 2021/22 season. On one hand Liverpool won a domestic cup double and came within a whisker of achieving the impossible, missing out on the Premier League title by a single point and suffered a narrow defeat in the Champions League final.

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On the other, they didn’t score in any of their three final appearances and fell short for the two biggest prizes they wanted most. Whether a Wijnaldum replacement would have made the decisive difference, it’s all what ifs and buts now.

It won’t be lost on onlookers that the Reds’ quadruple surge coincided with Klopp’s squad finding itself in a rare position of avoiding any long-term injuries for the majority of the second half of the season. When Liverpool’s ranks are at their strongest, they proved they can compete for everything.

Which is why this midfield debate has raged on once again this summer, with the Reds suffering a succession of injuries throughout pre-season, before Thiago Alcantara was struck down by an injury setback on the opening day of the campaign. Naby Keita and Kostas Tsimikas might return for Liverpool’s Anfield opener against Crystal Palace on Monday, but the Spaniard is one of seven absentees, which includes fellow midfielders Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Curtis Jones.

There has never been any doubt about the quantity of Klopp’s midfield options. Following the signing of Fabio Carvalho from Fulham this summer, he technically has nine senior players to choose from in the engine-room, even if three of them are currently sidelined.

The question isn’t even about their talents, despite what some critics might say otherwise. Rather, the question mark regards their durability.

From Klopp’s nine senior options, James Milner, Keita and Oxlade-Chamberlain are all out of contract while Jordan Henderson and Thiago join the Reds vice-captain...

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