Khéphren Thuram signed, two more transfer - Dream Liverpool midfield line-up next season as Alexande-Arnold change position...

Liverpool could plausibly have a whole new-look midfield ahead of 2023/24. Khéphren Thuram might be one of them, but here's what the dream trio would look like.
Liverpool cannot pin every one of its issues from last season on the midfield. Clearly, Jürgen Klopp does not think so either, having opted to sign a forward in January to try and arrest the slide.

That worked too, at least to some extent. Not an instant fix, Cody Gakpo did improve the press as he got used to the Roberto Firmino role, and Liverpool's results saw an uptick. But the real turning point was the move to put Trent Alexander-Arnold into a hybrid role, giving the midfield the extra bite and penetration it so desperately needed.

Whether or not that solution is here to stay, Liverpool will now be keen to strengthen the midfield unit around him. That process has already been kicked off by Alexis Mac Allister, but another couple of midfielders would ideally come in before the end of the transfer window.

One name that keeps cropping up is Khéphren Thuram, and he would indeed be an astute addition. A third signing would give Liverpool the option of fielding an all-new trio, but the real key for Klopp is restoring genuine options.

After all, while the boss is technically 'replacing' Naby Keïta and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, neither were reliably available. James Milner is a machine, but Liverpool clearly did not want to be turning to the 37-year-old as a starter too often. New blood means legitimate rotation possibilities.

So who would be the ideal option to come in alongside Thuram? In many ways, it depends how you view Mac Allister. No doubt his versatility was part of his appeal for Liverpool, but presumably Klopp has an idea over whether he will primarily use him as a number six or an advanced number eight.

While he has the skills to function in the deeper role, it does seem like a bit of a waste. Whereas that position would somewhat shackle his attacking output, playing as a number eight would allow him to shine offensively while also utilizing his defensive prowess as part of Liverpool's proactive pressing from the front.

As for Thuram, he's undoubtedly a number eight. He can also fend for himself in a defensive sense, a prerequisite for any Liverpool midfielder, but he won't be playing as the deepest option.

With that in mind, there's a strong case that Liverpool should sign a specialist number six, with questions persisting over Fabinho. The trouble is that nobody of this ilk has really been linked.

Going off-piste, Martín Zubimendi could be the ideal candidate. It looks like Barcelona will be frustrated in its efforts to sign the man hailed as the new Sergio Busquets, with the 24-year-old seemingly very content at Real Sociedad, but Liverpool should at least be asking the question.

Signing someone like that would see the dream Liverpool midfield line-up really come together. Zubimendi would go in as an immediate starter, as would Mac Allister ahead of him. Meanwhile, Klopp's current options are far from terrible — they would just be competing for one spot (with Thuram in the mix too), rather than having to fill all three.

The likes of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and of course captain Jordan Henderson will all feel they could make a case. When fit, Thiago can be added to that list, and shoots right towards the top of it. But Klopp rightly rewards form, so perhaps it is Jones' position to lose going into pre-season.

As such, come the end of a dream summer, the Liverpool midfield line-up would look something like this: Zubimendi, Mac Allister, Jones. None of them would be safe, though, with pressure from Fabinho, Stefan Bajčetić and Henderson in the deeper role, and Thuram, Elliott and Thiago further forward. All of a sudden, a problem area would look like a real strength.

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