Liverpool are biding their time in the transfer market this summer after anointing Arne Slot as Anfield's new head coach. We all want signings but patience is a virtue in this case, with the Dutchman currently working on familiarising himself with his highly talented squad.
Sporting director Richard Hughes has hinted that moves will be made but not until later down the line, although an enticing opportunity will always succeed in setting FSG heads a-swivel.
Slot has inherited a wonderful squad with high-level players across every position, but there are areas to be reinforced and landing a specialist defensive midfielder has got to be one of the Merseysiders' most pressing concerns.
Liverpool signed Wataru Endo from Stuttgart for £16m last summer after missing out on Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia to Chelsea, and while the Japan international, 31, has done well, he's lacking in mobility and high technical acumen.
Such a deal was necessary to combat the departure of Fabinho, who was sold to Al-Ittihad for £40m in July 2023 after falling by the wayside at the end of his illustrious Reds career. If the right player comes along, Michael Edwards and FSG will be sure to pounce.
Liverpool transfer news
As per GIVEMESPORT, Liverpool are actively looking to strengthen in the middle of the park and could forge a bid for Atalanta midfielder Ederson, who was instrumental in the Serie A side's Europa League triumph last term.
Ederson is one of Atalanta's most prized possessions but has admitted on several occasions that he would be tempted by a move to the Premier League, so the ball is really in the Reds' court, for they only need to present the Italian outfit with an offer.
Atalanta value the 25-year-old at £45m, which could make him an affordable addition to complete a dynamic midfield.
Ederson's 2023/24 season in numbers
Ederson has completed 90 appearances for Atalanta since signing from Serie A rivals Salernitana in 2022, with his exploits last season putting him on the map.
A defensive midfielder but boasting a sweeping skillset that scoffs at the notion of being pigeonholed into one role, Ederson has properties that suggest he could make a significant impact in Slot's Liverpool squad.
He featured 53 times during Gian Piero Gasperini's triumphant 2023/24 campaign, and it was his indefatigable presence that supercharged the journey toward silverware, averaging 5.2 ball recoveries per game in Serie A and 5.7 per game in the Europa League (Sofascore).
Moreover, he was described as a "machine" in central midfield by football writer Carlo Garganese for his performance against the indomitable Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League final.
Xabi Alonso's German club capered their way toward an invincible domestic campaign, winning the Bundesliga and the DFB-Pokal, though eternal footballing immortality was chipped by Atalanta's 3-0 demolition over them in the final of the continental contest, severing a record 51-game unbeaten streak and ending their own 61-year conquest for a trophy.
Ederson is a star on the cusp of his prime with a proven track record of exceeding expectations, and given that there is no one in the Liverpool squad quite like him, he must be signed. He would surpass Endo and prove to be Liverpool's finest defensive midfielder since the days of Fabinho.
Why Liverpool need Ederson
"He's a machine." Jurgen Klopp beamed toward the glare of the reporters' cameras after injury-riddled Liverpool rallied to beat Chelsea in the Carabao Cup final, commenting on Endo's tireless performance in the engine room.
The experienced ace has no question been a shrewd signing but he has his limitations and Ederson would counter such flaws and then some, surpassing him in activeness quite significantly.
Indeed, as per FBref, the Brazil international ranked among the top 17% of midfielders in Serie A last season for goals, the top 6% for progressive passes, the top 12% for tackles and interceptions and the top 13% for blocks per 90.
Matches played
29
36
Matches started
20
32
Goals
1
6
Assists
0
1
Pass completion
88%
84%
Big chances created
2
2
Key passes
0.6
0.5
Ball recoveries
3.7
5.2
Tackles
1.7
2.3
Duels won
3.9 (44%)
4.8 (55%)
Dribble attempts
0.3 (67%)
0.6 (55%)
The table above highlights the 6 foot 1 Ederson's goalscoring instinct defensive superiority and athletic robustness, though Endo, in fairness, was a crisper distributor last term, albeit playing in a system at Liverpool that enhanced his ball-playing ability.
The same would happen for Ederson, with Slot actually implementing a more ball-centric style than his Liverpool predecessor. He could serve to emulate the best days of his compatriot Fabinho, who was actually hailed as "the best" defensive midfielder in the world by Gary Neville in 2019.
Fabinho completed 219 appearances for Liverpool and played a crucial part in the trophy-laden stint in the club's rich history, notably winning the Premier League and the Champions League.
A relentless tackler and an intelligent reader of the game, the 30-year-old titan was the glue that held it all together, positionally perfect and incisive in recycling possession, turning over the ball and stroking it forward to create advantageous situations.
With an average of 6.8 ball recoveries per 90 across the duration of his career, he was energetic and enterprising both, and the difference in control that has been felt over the past few years (he was nowhere near his best at the end of his Reds career, described as "awful" by pundit Jamie Carragher).
Liverpool simply have to sign Ederson, he's affordable and he'd make a marked difference on Slot's start to life in Merseyside.
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ByAngus Sinclair
