Late push for Real Madrid star could land Liverpool their new hero

Liverpool should make a late push for a Real Madrid star. He could be the hero they're looking for.

There's no question now that Liverpool need a new defence-first midfielder. They actually needed one last season and we really, really thought they'd make a move for one in the summer.

Instead, they've moved on their second-most productive midfielder, Curtis Jones, and replaced him with no one. A bold move and one that absolutely isn't paying off.

That was plain to see against Newcastle United. Liverpool conceded two goals thanks to poor play in midfield, though calling it 'midfield play' for their first goal is a bit much - there was no midfield and they countered without proper pressure within 25 yards of them.

So we're banging the drum on signing a new midfielder, much as we did last season. And if Liverpool are to go big on one, we couldn't really recommend anyone better than Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga.

Eduardo Camavinga is a must

We've gone on about Camavinga before and stand by it. He's a player Liverpool have tracked for many years and one who is sort of available.

There's no question that Real Madrid are ready sellers. There is absolutely a question about whether Camavinga is happy to leave the club. But we feel Liverpool should do all they can to convince him late in the window.

Our model has Camavinga down as the second-best defensive midfielder in the top five leagues on a per 90 basis. Of teams who dominate possession, he's the outright best.

The only real reason that he isn't a consistent regular for Real Madrid is that Aurelien Tchouameni is arguably the best in the world, or at least in the conversation. And that's a positive for Liverpool - Camavinga will struggle to get in the team.

But when he is in the team, he's exceptional. That value comes from all over the place with him and the key metrics all suggest he's a world-class player.

There are four midfielders in Europe's top five leagues who are both top 10 per cent for successful passes and top 10 per cent for defensive actions. Camavinga is in that group, along with Tchouameni, Moises Caicedo and Manuel Locatelli.

It's a similar group, too, when you look for share of the defensive impact. Camavinga willingly takes on a high workload in a high-possession team and provides a tonne of value.

In other words, Camavinga is a rare player. He's someone who doesn't actually play all that regularly but is unquestionably in the top bracket of players - one who is literally only available because he battles for one position with someone else in that bracket.

So make no mistake: there is no better option for Liverpool if he's willing to join. Camavinga is the one and the Reds should go all-out to see if it can happen.