Liverpool given green light to sign 22 y/o star, Ryan Gravenberch needs to watch out

Liverpool still have a lot of changes to make to their squad this summer.

The Anfield outfit were miles behind their title rivals last term as they only managed a fifth-place finish.

This was a massive fall from grace, especially when they'd only just won the Premier League title the season before.

So, with all of this in mind, it was hardly surprising to see the rumour mill go into overdrive before the transfer window even opened.

And, now that there's less than a month left of the window, some deals are certainly going to have to be made before it's too late.

Many different players have been rumoured to be of interest to Liverpool but, there's now one player who has emerged as a potential target that could help turn the Reds' fortunes around almost instantly.

FC Barcelona have told Mark Casado that he can exit the Camp Nou this summer

Since most of the recent rumours to emerge from Barcelona have been about Rodri choosing them over Real Madrid, it was obvious that a sacrifice or two were going to be made.

Liverpool have already lined up a deal to sign Ronald Araujo from Barcelona and now, it feels like they could finally make a move for a defensive midfielder to challenge Ryan Gravenberch.

A couple of seasons ago, Gravenberch was one of the Premier League's best defensive midfielders but, last term, his performance levels dropped which led to fans questioning why Tyler Morton was sold and whether Liverpool could sign a new number six to challenge him.

As with every position in Liverpool's squad, many players have been linked as potential targets but now, thanks to an update from Hansi Flick via Fabrizio Romano, it seems like Iraola's perfect solution to his Gravenberch problem has just emerged.

"It wasn't easy for me to speak with Casadó and Roony about their future, but I did it," Flick said.

"These things happen in clubs, especially here, where we have to make room for La Masia players."

Liverpool signing Marc Casado makes a lot of sense

Aside from the rumours surrounding Bradley Barcola and Yan Diomande this summer, Curtis Jones' future has often dominated headlines at Liverpool.

Since Arne Slot rarely played the Englishman last term, he now seems determined to leave and would even be willing to run down his contract now that he's entered the final year of his deal.

If Jones does end up exiting, this would leave yet another massive gap in the middle of the park for Liverpool to fill which is why them signing a new central-midfielder is going to be key to their success.

Most central-midfielders can play in two or more positions covering the centre of the pitch which is why Casado would be a perfect addition.

He's a natural number six so he could challenge Gravenberch there but, he's also played further up the pitch so he could end up giving Trey Nyoni or Alexis Mac Allister a run for their money too.

Liverpool have been linked with the Spaniard in the past and, since he played in 24 La Liga games for Barcelona last term, it's clear that he's an exceptional talent despite only being 22 years old.

There are obviously a few weeks left of the transfer window so things could end up changing but, for now, there doesn't really feel like a better option for Liverpool than Casado, especially since Barcelona want him gone.