€51m midfielder solves ALL of Liverpool's problems

Liverpool need more progression in the middle of the park, and one midfielder can solve that issue.

With three back-to-back defeats, the Reds are in a bit of a rough patch at the moment. There's a silver lining that they are still only one point behind Arsenal at the top of the Premier League table.

It's all still to play for and this isn't a crisis point just yet for Arne Slot's side. However, it's important to acknowledge performances haven't been as Liverpool will have expected.

One area where the Reds are struggling is in their build-up play. For almost a decade now, even before Slot took charge, the build-up was concentrated on Trent Alexander-Arnold.

He was an essential pillar to picking the ball up deep and getting the Reds into the right areas. Having departed this summer, Liverpool haven't really replaced him.

Slot has been trying to. Not with the players he has at right-back but by converting Dominik Szoboszlai into that position.

This is something the Hungarian has transitioned to well - however when he does play as a right-back, the Reds while are much better in their build-up, they lack press in the opposition's final third, which Szoboszlai offered so well from midfield.

So, Slot has a dilemma. He is essentially losing two key players in his system with Szoboszlai playing the right-back role because Alexander-Arnold is gone and the Reds' no.8 is not playing in his accustomed role.

The problem for the Dutchman is that the system he wants to play, the build-up from the back akin to total football, isn't suited to the players he has at his disposal.

Slot needs midfielders who are progressive in nature and who can fill Alexander-Arnold's void - not from right-back - you're never going to get a player of his quality in that position again, he's generational.

Instead, Slot needs the build-up to be happening in the middle of the park. There is Alexis Mac Allister is capable of performing that role to an extent. However, he's not fully fit, and he doesn't have the off the ball qualities in order to make him a 'proper' Slot midfielder.

There is someone who does possess those traits and who would be the perfect midfielder to fix all of the club's problems.

Elliot Anderson is getting a lot of praise at the moment and rightfully so. He's performances have been top-class for Nottingham Forest so far this season.

Anderson is probably one of the best English midfielders in Europe right now alongside Declan Rice and a big factor in that is his ability to play out from deep and get the ball into the right channels.

As per FBref, he has made the passes into the opposition's final third (64) and the most progressive passes (62) in the Premier League so far this season.

Putting him into this team with the physicality that he has could be the perfect solution - especially while he plays alongside Ryan Gravenberch.

Football Transfers values him at €51m, which would make him an absolute bargain, too.

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