The January transfer window has been open for business for two weeks, now, and Liverpool are yet to make their first move to bolster their playing squad ahead of the second half of the season.
There is no immediate rush or need for the Reds to dip into the market, however, as they are in a terrific place in both the Premier League and the Champions League.
After their 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest at the City Ground on Tuesday night, Liverpool are six points clear of the Tricky Trees and seven points clear of Arsenal in the top-flight table.
The Reds are top of the Champions League with six wins from six matches in the league phase, which means that they are on course to bypass the play-off round and go straight into the knockout stages.
This shows that Liverpool are in a good position and do not have to rush into any deals that do not make sense for them in the current transfer window.
It is no secret, however, that Arne Slot would like to add a defensive midfielder to his squad at some point, after failing to land Martin Zubimendi in the summer.
Liverpool set to miss out on Martin Zubimendi
It was well-documented that Liverpool were interested in a deal to sign the Real Sociedad star ahead of the 2024/25 campaign, but they ultimately failed to convince him to make the move to Anfield.
Sky Sports reported in the summer that the Spain international was set to complete a switch to the Premier League side in a £51m deal, the value of his release clause, with the Reds keen to snap him up from the LaLiga outfit.
The outlet added, though, that Zubimendi then turned Liverpool down after Real Sociedad offered him a new contract with bigger wages to keep him at the club.
It will not be second time lucky for the Reds, either, as it has recently been reported that their Premier League rivals Arsenal are on the verge of a £51m deal to sign him at the end of this season.
Appearances
18
Pass accuracy
85%
Ground duel success rate
60%
Aerial duel success rate
73%
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.9
As you can see in the table above, Zubimendi has played regularly in the Spanish top-flight this season and showcased his defensive quality in the number six position.
The 25-year-old star is a dominant defensive midfielder who does not allow opponents to get the better of him on the floor or in the air very often, which suggests that he provides a strong presence out of possession at the base of the midfield.
Liverpool look set to have to come up against him when they face Arsenal next season, but the Reds could forget all about Zubimendi by landing one of their other reported targets in that position – Aurelien Tchouameni.
Liverpool's interest in Aurelien Tchouameni
Football Insider reported earlier this month that Liverpool are one of the clubs eyeing up a potential swoop to sign the France international from Real Madrid.
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The outlet claimed that a move in the January transfer window is currently unlikely, as Carlo Ancelotti does not want to disrupt his squad, but that a move could materialise in the summer.
Football Insider added that Premier League champions Manchester City are also interested in the French titan and that the board have given Pep Guardiola the funds needed to pursue a deal for the defensive midfielder.
It also revealed that both the Cityzens and Liverpool believe that they could tempt Tchouameni to make the move to England in the summer, ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
This means that the Reds could need to convince the France international to join them ahead of a move to The Etihad to play for Manchester City in order to win the race for his services, whilst it remains to be seen how much Real Madrid would demand for the player they signed from Monaco for £85.3m in the summer of 2022.
Why Liverpool should sign Aurelien Tchouameni
Liverpool should push to secure a deal for the 24-year-old midfield destroyer because it would allow Slot to completely forget about missing out on a move for Zubimendi.
Tchouameni, who was once described as “one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet” by analyst Raj Chohan, has proven himself to be an excellent performer at the base of the midfield for a huge European side in recent seasons.
He is a dominant defensive midfielder, who won 71% of his duels in the Champions League last season as Real Madrid won the competition, and the titan is also incredibly reliable in possession.
Over the last 365 days, Tchouameni ranks within the top 2% of midfielders in the Men’s Big 5 Leagues and European competitions for pass completion rate (91.6%), which illustrates how impressive his ball retention is – making him well-suited to a team that wants to dominate games and recycle possession effectively.
His performances in LaLiga this season for Real Madrid, whilst being called upon at centre-back and defensive midfield, also suggest that he could offer more quality than Zubimendi.
Appearances
18
15
Tackles + interceptions per game
3.9
3.3
Pass accuracy
85%
93%
Duel success rate
64%
64%
Error led to shot/goal
2
0
As you can see in the table above, Tchouameni is far more reliable with the ball at his feet, with a higher pass accuracy and fewer possession-based errors, whilst being as dominant in physical battles with opposition players.
At the age of 24, he is also a year younger than the Spaniard and still has plenty of time left on his side to develop and improve under Slot’s coaching, which makes him an attractive long-term signing for Liverpool as well as being a player who could make an immediate impact.
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Therefore, FSG must ensure that the Dutch boss has the funds available to beat Manchester City to the signing of Tchouameni if he becomes available in the summer.