Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool may have grabbed all three points against Tottenham Hotspur yesterday afternoon to maintain their quest for Premier League glory, but the Reds' 2-1 win over the north London outfit at Anfield still didn't gloss over the fact the Reds midfield isn't good enough, if Klopp's side are to become regular contenders in the race for top-flight glory.
A fine defensive unit has been assembled by Klopp, while the front-three of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino would rival that of any in world football. However, while both the defensive and attacking areas of the pitch are awash with quality, it's the midfield areas that lacks significant strength in depth, and in particular the attacking part of the current midfield.
Georginio Wijlnaldum, Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho offer a decent defensive midfield setup, but Naby Keita and Adam Lallana have failed to shine consistently for the Merseysiders, and it appears that Klopp has certainly fallen out of love with Xherdan Shaqiri, who is struggling for any sort of game time, and it would be no surprise to see him leave the club in the summer. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is nearing a return to action, so that is one positive, but that's still a midfield that lacks significant quality.
Well, Klopp must rectify this lack of attacking midfield options in the summer, and there's a ready-made attacking midfield star ripping it up in the Premier League, and it's Belgian international Youri Tielemans, who has been magnificent for Leicester City over the last couple of months.
Arriving at the Foxes on deadline day from Monaco, Tielemans was part of a swap deal with midfield flop Adrien Silva, but since his arrival at the King Power Stadium, Tielemans has been a revelation under Brendan Rodgers, and has taken to the Premier League like a duck to water.
In his seven Premier League games, Tielemans has scored one goal against Fulham, but he has amassed four assists during his short time at the club, and all four of those assists have come in his last five matches. A stunning performance against Bournemouth at the weekend enhanced the 21-year-old's stock even further, and it left Rodgers eyeing up a potential summer move for the international star.
However, if Monaco are willing to let him go in the summer then Rodgers could face a fight from a whole host of managers for Tielemans' signature, and top of that list should be Liverpool boss Klopp, who should propel him to the top of his transfer targets list, as he could be a magnificent fit at Anfield.
A talented youngster for Anderlecht, Tielemans moved to Monaco in 2017, but it's been the hustle and bustle of the Premier League that has seen him shine, and if he can continue to blossom for Leicester in the closing stages of the season then he could be a wanted man, and having moved to Monaco for around £20m then his price tag could double come the summer, and that could price Leicester out, and Liverpool should steam in to secure his signature.
