Newcastle United are on the brink of securing an important transfer, while Liverpool may miss out on another key player.

Following Liverpool’s recent 2-2 draw with Newcastle United, there has been a consensus regarding the urgent need for a defensive midfielder. This necessity has been emphasized for quite some time. Liverpool’s midfield has lacked the necessary robustness for several seasons now.

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The urgency of this situation was clear on Sunday, underscoring the absence of significant defensive capabilities in the squad. Jürgen Klopp had initially sought to address these concerns by pursuing a defensive midfielder in 2023, ultimately opting for Wataru Endo, who has seen regular playtime.

The current squad is predominantly made up of attacking midfielders, which has hampered Liverpool’s ability to regain possession, halt counter-attacks, or control matches effectively. Remarkably, a single player could solve these issues, provided they fit the profile Liverpool needs.

Last season, every Premier League team featured at least two midfielders with above-average defensive contributions per 90 minutes, with Liverpool and Sunderland being the exceptions.

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While Sunderland managed to secure Enzo Le Fee in this category, Liverpool had no such player. In contrast, high-possession teams like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea were each equipped with at least two midfielders who excelled in securing the ball. For instance, Manchester City’s Rodri and Nico Gonzalez, Arsenal’s Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino, along with Chelsea’s Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos, filled this role. Brighton also featured Diego Gomez and Carlos Baleba to bolster their midfield.

Yet, as Newcastle United prepares to finalize a deal for Nico Gonzalez, Liverpool must consider making a move to hijack this opportunity.

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Nico Gonzalez is an Ideal Target

Among the available defensive midfielders, Gonzalez stands out as a perfect fit for Liverpool, mainly because he is transitioning from a high-possession team where he had extensive responsibilities.

Gonzalez excelled by showcasing the highest work-rate among high-possession midfielders, narrowly surpassing Caicedo. He successfully handled a demanding role at Manchester City.

The 24-year-old ranked in the top 10 percent for defensive actions while also providing a significant share of defensive contributions. Essentially, he fits Liverpool’s criteria for a player capable of managing a substantial amount of defensive responsibilities on his own.

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In addition, Gonzalez is recognized for his exceptional passing ability. Last season, only two midfielders averaged more successful passes per 90 minutes in the Premier League: Rodri and Curtis Jones from Inter.

When analyzing midfielders from the previous season who ranked in the top 10 percent for defensive workload and completed passes, Nico Gonzalez emerges as the sole candidate.

Our assessment identifies Gonzalez as the most valuable defensive midfielder in the Premier League last season, based on a per-90-minute measurement. While this does not equate to consistent performance over an entire season, his potential to scale remains promising.

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Despite his relatively limited playing time, he ranks 7th in our model, a testament to his performance compared to those who logged significantly more minutes.

Overall, Gonzalez occupies the 10th position for per-90 metrics and lands in the top 30 for overall season value, marking him as a highly regarded talent and a potential oversight for Manchester City.

Newcastle United are on the brink of a fantastic transfer. Time for another Liverpool hijack.

You may have come across some opinions in the wake of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle United that point out the need for a defensive midfielder. Or at least a defence-minded midfielder.

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This is a drum we’ve been banging for quite some time now. It was particularly evident on Sunday but Liverpool haven’t had proper steel in midfield for a few seasons now.

And it’s a problem. There’s a reason why Jürgen Klopp was so eager to sign a defensive midfielder in 2023, eventually taking a punt on Wataru Endo and playing him regularly.

Because this is a squad of attacking midfielders. Liverpool cannot win the ball back, stop counter-attacks or control games. The maddest thing about that is how one player can fix those issues, as long as they’re the right one.

Every Premier League had at least two midfielders who were above average for defensive contributions per 90 last season, except or two. Liverpool and Sunderland.

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Sunderland did have one, however, in Enzo Le Fee. Liverpool had zero.

Even high-possession teams like Manchester City, Arsenal, and Chelsea boasted at least two midfielders who secured the ball. For City, that was Rodri and Nico Gonzalez. Arsenal had Declan Rice, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino. Chelsea had Moises Caicedo and Andrey Santos.

Even Brighton, the next-highest possession side, had Diego Gomez and Carlos Baleba. Again, Liverpool had no one.

But one player from that list is now on the brink of signing for Newcastle United. And he’s a player Liverpool should absolutely hijack.

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Nico Gonzalez is there to be signed

Of all the defensive midfielders available, Gonzalez may be the easiest fit for Liverpool. If only because he’s moving from a high-possession team that asked him to do quite a lot.

Gonzalez also boasted the highest share of the work-rate of any high-possession midfielder, narrowly beating Caicedo in that regard. City asked him to do a lot when he played and he did it successfully.

The 24-year-old was near-top-10-per-cent for defensive actions and was top 10 per cent for defensive share. It’s essentially what Liverpool are asking for – a player who can take on a large portion of the defensive workload as an individual.

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And to cap that off, Gonzalez is a fantastic passer. Two midfielders averaged more successful passes per 90 in the Premier League last season: Rodri and Inter’s own, Curtis Jones.

© IMAGO – (Excuse the squashed plot, it’s hastily made)

So when you’re asking about midfielders last season who were top 10 per cent for share of the defensive workload last season and top 10 per cent for completed passes, you end up with one player: Nico Gonzalez.

We have the Spaniard down as the outright most valuable defensive midfielder in the Premier League last season on a per 90 basis. Of course, that’s not as valuable as offering that quality over an entire season but we do believe he can scale up.

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Even with his relatively limited minutes, we still have him 7th in our model. That’s despite having half the game time as the players at the top.

Overall? We’ve got him 10th for per 90 and he cracks the top 30 for season value. A top, top player then and one that Manchester City are making a massive mistake with.