Liverpool has been biding its time this summer, as the last Premier League side yet to make a transfer. But having run the rule over the squad, Arne Slot has decided to target a holding midfielder, and Martin Zubimendi is at the top of the list .
According to The Times and others, Liverpool will pursue the Real Sociedad midfielder for the base of its midfield. Slot does not intend to rely on Wataru Endo , signed last summer after bids for Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia came to nothing, and could further finance the move for Zubimendi by selling Tyler Morton.
With a release clause of $65m (£51m/€60m), Zubimendi would presumably be signed as a starter for Liverpool. That could spell the end of Alexis Mac Allister as an outright number six, with the Spanish specialist taking over the role.
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But Mac Allister, a genuine contender for Liverpool's Player of the Season last time out, would certainly not be bumped from the starting line-up. By contrast, the arrival of Zubimendi could unleash him further.
Taking Slot at his word, Liverpool will play something akin to a 4-3-3 in the new era. In that shape, Zubimendi would clearly be the deepest of the midfield trio, with Mac Allister allowed more license to push forward alongside a number eight partner.
There are a number of candidates for that third midfield berth, including Dominik Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones . But it will be hard for Slot to look beyond Harvey Elliott , who has excelled in pre-season, picking up where he left off at the end of the previous campaign.
Naturally, given the personnel on the books, there will be huge amounts of competition in Slot's midfield, which can only be a good thing. But on paper, a trio of Zubimendi, Mac Allister and Elliott looks genuinely elite.
It also fits in with the idea of a 4-2-3-1. Slot rebuked a reporter who suggested that this was his favored shape at Feyenoord, but we have seen something along those lines in pre-season.
Conceptualizing the Liverpool midfield in this way, Mac Allister could more or less continue in the role where he excelled last season, albeit with a little more license to advance. He and Zubimendi would form an impressive double-pivot.
That would then give Elliott the platform to really thrive. He was never lacking for effort in Jurgen Klopp's "true" 4-3-3, but defending is not the strongest side of his game, beyond the initial counter-pressing that Slot will also demand. With such a solid base behind him, he could showcase the very best of his elite-level talents.
That role would also suit Szoboszlai or indeed Fabio Carvalho, while Jones could play there or as part of the deeper pivot. In short, Zubimendi would unlock a range of options, all of which look very good indeed.
Liverpool.com says: Mac Allister gave Liverpool a preview of a ball-playing number six last season. But Zubimendi would arrive as more of a specialist in that role, offering similar assurance in possession but an even greater degree of control.
And while the Argentine did not exactly appear limited last season, a tweaked role would allow him to demonstrate the full range of his abilities. The prospect of him getting even better is tantalizing.
A deal is not done yet. But Mac Allister should be joining Liverpool fans in hoping it gets over the line.
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