Liverpool's Thiago replacement has been at the club all along after Arne Slot comments

Recent comments from Arne Slot have suggested that Liverpool's Thiago replacement has been at the club all along.

The Reds have yet to replace the now-retired Spaniard since he left at the end of last season, although Jurgen Klopp's midfield overhaul last summer perhaps has something to do with that after four fresh faces walked through the doors 12 months ago.

Dominik Szoboszlai , Alexis Mac Allister , Ryan Gravenberch and Wataru Endo all arrived as part of a major rebuild in the middle of the pitch, with the likes of Curtis Jones , Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic already waiting in the wings as further options.

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With this in mind, Thiago's departure has not warranted particular cause for concern, and especially considering the Reds had already gotten used to his absence after injury limited him to just one appearance last term.

Nonetheless, Liverpool's transfer activity this summer has still been remarkably quiet, leaving it as the only team in Europe's top five leagues yet to sign a single player, but Slot feels a ready-made replacement for Thiago is already among the ranks at Anfield .

Gravenberch was chosen as Liverpool's holding midfielder for last weekend's Premier League opener against Ipswich and Slot has justified his selection by praising the former Bayern Munich star for his attributes and performance in the 2-0 victory .

"He brings certain qualities that we like in that position," he told reporters in Friday's pre-match press conference. "If the other 10 had been s--- at Ipswich he wouldn't have been able to play such a good game."

Gravenberch played the full 90 minutes of the Portman Road contest and performed admirably in front of the defense . Now, he is expected to retain his role ahead of Sunday's clash with Brentford at Anfield as the Reds aim to make it two wins from two to start the season.

Slot had initially raised eyebrows when he entrusted his fellow countryman to fulfill the No.6 role for the pre-season friendly against Manchester United on August 4, before utilizing him in the same position for the following game against Sevilla .

Now, it appears Gravenberch is likely to hold down his position in the starting XI as Liverpool's holding midfielder, with Slot clearly favoring him over a more natural replacement in Endo, who appears to have fallen down the pecking order under the Dutchman.

Liverpool has been keen to sign a new holding midfielder this summer and came agonizingly close to pinching Martin Zubimendi from Real Sociedad before the 25-year-old performed a remarkable U-turn and decided to stay with his boyhood club .

However, there may be no need to panic if Gravenberch can make the step up and fulfill the No.6 role on a consistent basis this season. All but one of his 39 appearances in 2023-24 were from central midfield, so integrating into a new role may take some time, but it seems as though Slot is willing to play the long game.