Midfielder confirms he's ready to join Liverpool

Liverpool have found the perfect midfielder, he's just confirmed it.

Julian Ward has heralded the new era quietly. There's not been a great fanfare about his return to the sporting director role. Right now, everyone is a little bit cautious about the direction Liverpool are heading towards.

It's all a mystery what the plan is. Whether to continue what Richard Hughes has built or to rectify Hughes' vision and perhaps even sell some of his key pieces - chiefly among them Florian Wirtz.

It would no doubt be a surprising decision. However, given Liverpool's struggles in recruitment - a new direction will be welcomed by the fanbase.

Liverpool simply cannot afford to spend over £100m on a player again and gamble on them being the finished article. Ward has to change things.

Why Liverpool desperately need a midfielder

One of Liverpool’s biggest mistakes over the summer was failing to bring in another midfielder. And we’re already seeing just how costly that decision could be.

With Ryan Gravenberch suspended and Dominik Szoboszlai a doubt for the trip to Brentford, Andoni Iraola could be forced to start Trey Nyoni alongside Alexis Mac Allister.

And what happens if either of them picks up an injury? Well, the options are James McConnell and Wataru Endo. Hardly ideal, is it?

This is a squad that was built to win the Premier League, yet suddenly, the depth looks incredibly thin. Losing Curtis Jones without bringing in a replacement has left Liverpool seriously exposed, and it’s a problem the Reds simply cannot afford to ignore heading into the January transfer window.

Sergi Altimira confirms he's ready to join Liverpool

A midfielder Anfield Watch understands is on Liverpool's radar is Sergi Altimira. The Spaniard Sporting CP midfielder plays his football in Portugal, which is a favourite destination of Ward - who speaks fluent Portuguese and has conducted business in the past with Portuguese clubs.

Most notably, Ward played a key role in securing Luis Diaz.

Now Altimira has emerged on his radar, and against Lens in the Champions League the midfielder confirmed he's ready to join the Reds with a brilliant performance.

Altimira's cool and composed performance playing at the base of Sporting's midfield helped his side to victory. He controlled possession masterfully, he completed 47 of his 50 pass attempts and on top of that 11 defensive contributions, winning five out of his seven duels, making six recoveries and two interceptions.

It was the kind of performance that showed exactly what Liverpool need. Altimira may not be a flashy name, but the 25-year-old showed he is the perfect midfielder for the Reds.

Playing like this in the Champions League also confirms he's ready to join Andoni Iraola's side.