Jude Bellingham, Arthur Melo and how Liverpool midfield could look in 2023

Anfield Talk
by Anfield Talk September 02, 2022

A rollercoaster transfer window for Liverpool is finally over after the Reds completed a deadline day loan swoop for Arthur Melo from Juventus on deadline day. The Brazil international became Jurgen Klopp’s fourth signing of the summer after belatedly following Darwin Nunez, Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay in through the entrance door.

The German had looked to complete his latest business early when managing to snap up the aforementioned trio all before a return for pre-season training on July 4. As a result, having missed out on Aurelien Tchouameni to Real Madrid and been left frustrated by Borussia Dortmund’s ‘not for sale’ stance regarding Jude Bellingham, plans to sign a new midfielder were put on hold until 2023.

Yet injuries to Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Curtis Jones, Thiago Alcantara, Naby Keita and Jordan Henderson forced Liverpool’s hand. While Klopp might have boasted nine senior midfielders when all fit, the majority’s chequered injury past prompted him to move late on for Arthur.

Having waved off Sadio Mane, Takumi Minamino and Divock Origi this summer, 2022 had been earmarked as the year the Reds would revamp their attack in the face of ageing stars and expiring contracts. From their six senior forwards who started last season, Diogo Jota was the only certain of a long-term future at Anfield.

Yet fast forward 12 months and now Roberto Firmino is now the only one whose future remains unclear, with his contract set to expire next summer. Although, after delivering three goals and three assists in home victories over AFC Bournemouth and Newcastle United in the past week, perhaps the Brazilian will play his way into securing a new deal.

With the 30-year-old Mane out of contract in 2023, Liverpool banked a small profit when letting the wantaway star depart for pastures new at Bayern Munich. Meanwhile, Origi left for AC Milan on a Bosman transfer while, having found first team opportunities limited at Anfield, the Reds doubled their money when selling Minamino to AS Monaco.

In their place came the 23-year-old Nunez and 20-year-old Carvalho from Benfica and Fulham respectively, while Luis Diaz was signed six months early back in January when Tottenham Hotspur’s own pursuit of the forward prompted an unexpected opening for the Reds. The trio have all firmly made their presence felt on Merseyside already to ensure a reasonably smooth transition despite the club’s slow start to the season.

Meanwhile, Mohamed Salah ended any uncertainty regarding his own future ahead of his own contract expiring in 2023 by putting pen to paper on the most lucrative deal in Liverpool history earlier this summer, extending his Anfield stay until 2025. With Jota and Harvey Elliott also handed new deals, Klopp’s attack has successfully been revamped. And that’s even without considering the bright futures that potentially lie in wait for the likes of starlets Kaide Gordon and Bobby Clark.

Incoming sporting director Julian Ward can be reasonably happy with his business in 2022 as a result, having also secured Joe Gomez’s future while bringing in Ramsay as back-up right-back to fill the one hole left in Klopp’s squad as a natural understudy for Trent Alexander-Arnold. Now his attention will turn to 2023 and the long-awaited revamping of midfield.