Liverpool’s Midfield Dilemma: Risks of Winger Focus
Liverpool’s winger spree risks leaving Andoni Iraola exposed in the one area no title-chasing manager wants to feel light: central midfield.
While the club push ahead with ambitious moves for PSG pair Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye – having already wrapped up a deal for Victor Munoz – the middle of the pitch is quietly being stripped back.
At the back, the rebuild has real bite. Jeremy Jacquet has already turned heads, especially with a standout display in the final pre-season friendly against Como on Sunday, and Ronald Araujo has arrived on loan to stiffen the defence. Out wide, three new wingers could be through the door by the end of the window.
In midfield? Silence. No active plans to recruit. And that’s where the tension starts to rise.
Bajcetic talks gather pace
On Monday, the situation sharpened. Fabrizio Romano revealed that Getafe have opened talks with Liverpool over 21-year-old Stefan Bajcetic, posting on X that the “formula” of the deal is under discussion. Loan or permanent, though, remains unclear.
What is clear is Bajcetic’s openness to a return to Spain. Matteo Moretto reported last month that the youngster is ready to go back to his homeland if Liverpool decide to cut ties. The journalist underlined that Iraola “likes him a lot” and that Rayo Vallecano and Getafe have both shown interest.
The original plan was simple: Iraola wanted to run the rule over Bajcetic in pre-season. If he stayed, he would sign a new contract. If not, he would search for a new club in Spain.
That decision point has now arrived. Bajcetic’s current deal at Anfield runs out next summer, which complicates any loan. Liverpool would need him to extend first to protect his value. Otherwise, a straight sale to Getafe becomes the cleanest option.
Either way, if he goes, one more body disappears from the centre of the park.
Jones edges towards Inter exit
And he might not be the only one.
Curtis Jones is pushing hard for a move to Inter Milan, determined to leave his boyhood club for a leading role with the Serie A champions. Over the weekend, the path cleared in two significant ways.
Liverpool have trimmed their asking price from £34m to £30m. Inter, who previously came in at £26m, are now expected to return with an improved bid that lands closer to Liverpool’s new valuation.
At the same time, Inter dealt with their own bottleneck. Davide Frattesi needed to move before the Nerazzurri could fully commit to Jones. That hurdle has gone: Frattesi has joined Lazio on loan, with an option to buy included in the agreement, freeing up room in Simone Inzaghi’s squad and budget.
The pieces are aligning. If Inter step up as expected, Jones’ Anfield story may be nearing its final chapter.
A midfield left on a knife-edge
Strip away the noise around wingers and new defenders and the picture in midfield looks stark.
If both Jones and Bajcetic depart, Iraola will be left with just five senior options: Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Wataru Endo and teenager Trey Nyoni.
On paper, that quintet has quality. Mac Allister’s control, Szoboszlai’s drive, Gravenberch’s athleticism, Endo’s experience, Nyoni’s promise. But across a season in which Liverpool expect to fight on four fronts, quantity matters almost as much as quality.
Two injuries. One suspension. A loss of form. It doesn’t take much for that group to look dangerously thin, especially with no current intention to reinforce.
Liverpool are pouring resources into the flanks and shoring up the back line. The risk is obvious: in the pursuit of width and defensive security, they may be hollowing out the core of Iraola’s team.
If Jones walks to Milan and Bajcetic boards a flight to Madrid, the question will be unavoidable: can a side with such lofty ambitions really afford to gamble on a midfield this bare?
