Liverpool could sign another £60m Guimaraes “like rice”

Last summer, Liverpool's desire to acquire a new midfielder became a patent.

Fabinho was sold to Al-Ittihad for £40m in July after losing a leg at the start of the 2022/23 campaign; he did not find them. James Milner and a host of others had left when their contracts expired, while Jordan Henderson was also sold after turning down a key role.

But for all the transfer rumors, for all the bids for Romeo Lavia, for all the £111m British-record-transfer-moise-moise offered for Brighton & Hove Albion's Moises Caicedo, whose heart was set on Stamford Bridge, Liverpool's despair it spread, it went deep. .

But the £16m signing of Wataru Endo from Stuttgart, an unknown 30-year-old midfielder, was not a fluke, a roll of the dice – the Japanese player was not the first choice but was identified as a creative solution. , which had great results during Jurgen Klopp's last campaign.

But he has never been a long-term solution, and now FSG along with Michael Edwards and Arne Slot will be eager to find and sign a number 6 talent with world-class ability.

Liverpool transfer rumours

According to a report from Calcio Mercato last week, Liverpool are in the process of signing Aston Villa star Douglas Luiz, although Serie A side Juventus are currently in the race.

Arsenal and Manchester United are also understood to be eyeing the Brazilian international, who is worth around £60m for Unai Emery's side, who qualified for the Champions League by finishing fourth in the Premier League.

Luiz is not the only name on Edwards' radar but his proven performances in the English top flight speaks volumes for the pursuit of his signature.

Douglas Luiz's season by the numbers

Jacob Tanswell of The Athletic said that Luiz “one of the most outstanding midfielders in the Premier League“, and in fact it is difficult to refute such allegations after his place at the heart of Aston Villa's success, a central but also important midfielder.

Scoring ten goals and adding more assists for Villa in all competitions this season, the midfielder was impressive and irreplaceable in the center of the park, combining his energetic qualities with a unique attacking ability.

Indeed, according to FBref, the 5 foot 10 star ranked among the top 16% of midfielders in Europe's top five leagues last year in goals, the top 17% in shots and the top 20% in passes attempted -90. , highlighting how he can make a real impact on Slot's first team at Liverpool.

In addition, he has actually been compared favorably with Arsenal's Declan Rice by expert Jermaine Pennant, who said last December: “I would say Douglas Luiz of Aston Villa, I think he can do everything Rice can do and better. I think he helps a lot. , he scores more goals than Rice.

“The creativity is better, the creativity is better, he can tackle like Rice, break up and play like Rice. So I think if someone said to me you can get Douglas Luiz for £60m or Declan Rice for £100m, it's easy every day of the week , Douglas Luiz.”

Mikel Arteta signed Rice from West Ham United for £105m last summer and, let's be honest, he is one of the best players in his position in the world, but Luiz knows his stuff and Pennant's praise may have some truth to it.

Rice would be the perfect player to strengthen Anfield's engine room but – out, here – he is probably unavailable. Therefore, Luiz might be the best player to move for, perhaps even more so than Newcastle United's Bruno Guimaraes…

Why Liverpool should sign Douglas Luiz

Liverpool's midfield is full of quality players but Endo is no match for Manchester City's Rodri, or Arsenal's Rice. He can be proud after a successful campaign but Chelsea's Caicedo could still develop into one of the best midfielders in Europe, having shown his top skills as a 22-year-old in trial situations at Chelsea.

Endo will play a part in Liverpool's squad under Slot but he should not be the main midfielder. According to Spanish sources, Guimaraes is now being considered by Liverpool amid growing reports that the Magpies may need to part ways with Silver this summer to comply with Profit and Sustainability regulations.

But Luiz's compatriot would not come cheap, with Newcastle hoping the suitor will pay his €115m (£100m) release clause.

Guimaraes is a brilliant player, with teammate Dan Burn commenting that he is “world class”, producing a Premier League campaign that showcases his strengths in almost every area.

He's better than that. But Guimaraes will cost a fortune and Edwards and FSG will be well aware of the need to force changes in a number of positions this summer.

Last year, the Reds pulled out of the race to sign Jude Bellingham following concerns that it would take too much money to bring the prodigy to Anfield, something that would have seemed risky given the size of the stadium's redevelopment project.

Instead, the investment was spread and Liverpool returned to prominence, reclaiming their place in the Champions League, competing for the Premier League title and winning the Carabao Cup.

Douglas Luiz may not be Guimaraes but he is still a brilliant player – hailed as “wonderful” by reporter Zach Lowy – and he will be a great addition to Slot's Liverpool.