Steve McManaman has suggested Liverpool look away from Youri Tielemans, stating the current crop of young midfielders could prove crucial.
Liverpool had been linked with signing a central midfielder in the summer window, although Jurgen Klopp decided to keep faith in his current options. The main plan was to find a replacement for Gini Wijnaldum, who departed the club on a free transfer to PSG, and despite many links to top players, no move transpired.
Liverpool’s only major signing during the window was defender Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig. Despite much criticism of their transfer inactivity, Klopp’s men sit joint top of the Premier League after five rounds. However, after Harvey Elliot’s gruesome injury, there have been suggestions they might bring a player in January.
Youri Tielemans is one of the stars heavily linked with a move to Merseyside, and Leicester might not let him leave in January. However, with a contract extension still nowhere near to be signed on the dotted line, the Belgian might be a realistic target for the Reds next summer, although he’d come with a heavy price tag.
Many have stated the Belgian midfielder might be a perfect match for Liverpool’s style. Klopp, however, has a host of names in his squad that could prove useful this season despite the absence of Elliot, who was becoming a key member of the starting lineup this season.
Former Liverpool star Steve McManaman has suggested his old club should walk away from any prospective deal for Tielemans, pointing the finger towards the current midfield options in the team.
McManaman said, “I certainly think he’s good enough. He’s done really well and starred in this Leicester team and played very well. I also know he’s done very well in the Belgium shirt. But you’re trying to shoehorn people into areas where they’ve got loads of bodies there already.
“Do I think Liverpool will spend next summer? The answer would be yes. They’ll have a big pot of money next year when I think they’ll spend properly again. But it’s all just about picking the right area; whether you get rid of two or three in the midfield to bring in Tielemans is another thing. At the moment there is congestion.”
“You’ve got Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott coming in there – younger players with huge amounts of talent – Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. There are bodies galore! Do they need a Tielemans at this moment in time? No. He’s a really good player, but I just don’t see where he fits in.”
