We don’t tend to spend huge money on 18 year olds, and rightly so.
Can’t imagine we will blow our budget on a Bellingham, Camavinga or Gravenberch when there are older players of the same quality available for 1/3 of the price.
True that. I have to make myself clear, I didn’t talk up signing Bellingham in particular (and it’s been a while since Liverpool signed a teenager for big money if I’m not mistaken), I just think that he’ll be ace in a few years, when he’ll pretty much be unattainable for Liverpool.
As for the midfielders who are better at fraction of the price, it depends on what Klopp’s plans are. Bissouma and Aouar are firmly on my mind for different roles, I couldn’t really think of anyone else, not for quite a while.
It’s Jones and Fabinho that I’m placing most of my expectations upon, though. Henderson is a known quantity, as is Alcantara (who I hope will come good) but I feel we’re yet to see the best of these two.
Don’t forget our Jordan Henderson. £20m in 2011 would have been the same as £40-50m this year.
Henderson was 21 at the time, but by next season Bellingham will probably catch up with 21-year-old Henderson. Don’t forget that Jude is already a regular player at Dortmund, not a sub.
Why not? Over half of our midfielders are already 30 or older, and I am counting the likes of AOC and Keita.
1 Like
Probably means he is going on loan to Southampton
1 Like
So we are buying Hey Jude and Cama Cama Cama Cama Cama Chameleon?
1 Like
Some classics there 
1 Like
Bellingham nailed on to Utd in a few years, they tried big before he went to Dortmund. I reckon you are talking huge money for him as well as you say.
I think this is a case of mistaken identity, Thiago plays with number 6 not 5. 
1 Like
My main reasonning would be the split of game time and hence possible progression and gelling with the squad. It really isn’t good to have 2 youngsters fighting for game time for 3 positions let alone 3. One will lose out.
If Jones is already concidered established then just 1 more youngster and only if he is of similar caliber whould be considered imo.
Impossible I put the word quality in there! 
1 Like
What do we think of Bissouma as a stylistically similar replacement for Gini?
Will be 25 this summer, 2 years left on his deal, he cost Brighton £15m in 2018.
Similar sort of tactical convert going from a slightly failed attacking midfielder (although under Hughton, so different style of football) to a more deeper working central midfielder (mostly double pivot) under Potter in the last 2 seasons.
Hasn’t played for Mali for almost 3 years now, anyone know why?
1 Like
Haven’t played a lot in last three seasons with Brighton. Think he can be the workhorse backup, considering Wijnaldum is leaving, Milner has properly aged and Henderson will be down the hill sooner or later. My preference would be someone who can become a first-team regular.
Why do you say he would be a backup? He’s bossed some of the “best” midfields in the Premiership. Was immense against us as well.
He’d be in my top 3 midfielders to replace Gini.
1 Like
Who are your other two?
Aouar & Rice (but I doubt we can afford him).
An honourable mention for Gravenberch but I’ve not seen a lot of him.
Gravenberch has loads of potential and I don’t hear or read those “look at me I’m the best” stuff from him but he is only 18 years old, don’t know if we want to go that way.
A friend of mine is from Brighton and absolutely loves Bissouma.
1 Like
Think Bissouma would be a perfect replacement for Gini but I wonder if that’s what we need? Part of our issue seems to be a lack of creativity from midfield when we come up against those low block teams.
Thiago tends to be better a little deeper, Keita and Ox are more ball carriers than lock pickers (and both have fitness issues) and as promising as Jones is I still can’t quite work out his best role in there.
Do we perhaps want to look at a more Shaqiri type who maybe is more a luxury type we can play against low block teams with Fab and Hendo/Milner/Thiago in the deeper roles.
Just like a couple years back when we changed from being an all out pressing machine, perhaps Gini leaving is a chance to bring in someone who allows us to adjust our style a little as teams have started to work out how to stifle our attack more effectively.
That or, I think it’s entirely possible when you look at the numbers we have in that area of the pitch, we don’t actually replace Gini this summer and instead look to address that area when Milner perhaps moves on next summer and we’ve a better idea of the player Jones will become.
He just scored his first CL goal (an outstanding one) against Cheaty and played really well overall.
…
Cue Cheaty, the red mancs or Chelski coming in this summer or the next one, and picking him up for £ 85 millions.
1 Like
I guess you are talking about Bellingham. Isn’t he rather similar to Curtis Jones?
1 Like