In the summer of 2023, Liverpool’s midfield ranks underwent major changes.
Captain Jordan Henderson and midfield colossus Fabinho both departed the club to join the ever-growing Saudi Pro League.
Word of a midfield revamp had been going around anyway since some of the Reds’ key players were ageing, so Jürgen Klopp knew that going into the 23/24 season with fresh faces in the engine room was a strong possibility.
In what turned out to be Klopp’s final campaign as Liverpool boss, many predicted the club to struggle due to the midfield overhaul, but with signings like Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister, the Reds finished third in the Premier League table and comfortably so; they also won the EFL Cup.
One area that caused some concern in terms of long-term planning was the number six role that Fabinho vacated.
Klopp recruited then-30-year-old Wataru Endō, a defensive midfielder who had been plying his trade in the German Bundesliga for some time and a player Klopp had been a fan of.
Despite some impressive and important contributions, Endō is not the type of player you need in the six if you want to challenge for titles—the midfielder himself has reportedly confirmed this before, stating that he thinks the club should invest in a new defensive midfielder.
Liverpool’s pursuit of a new defensive midfielder dominated much of their transfer business this summer, with Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes selecting Real Sociedad’s Martín Zubimendi as their primary target.
It initially looked as though Liverpool would get their man, but to the shock of many, Zubimendi opted to stay with the club he’s been with his entire senior career.
Hughes and Edwards were sure there were no alternatives to Zubimendi, so the Reds opted to work with what they already had, for now at least.
New Liverpool gaffer Arne Slot was on board with this direction, with Ryan Gravenberch impressing in the six role during pre-season; he has continued that form in the early parts of the Premier League campaign, too.
In this data analysis, we will use xGold (Total Football Analysis‘ own player similarity tool) to try and identify any alternatives to Zubimendi that Liverpool could explore.
The analysis will review various important data for the role in Liverpool’s tactics – numerous players from around the world will be included.
Still, this analysis will also include the statistics of some existing Liverpool options to see if the club made the right decision.
xGold Criteria
To generate a list of players from xGold, we ran a search of defensive midfielders who were at clubs in tiers 1-3 at the start of last season (data restrictions meant this was the only way of generating a list).
Tiers 1-3 include the top divisions from England, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Russia, Belgium, Turkey, the Netherlands, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Sweden, Switzerland, Ukraine, Mexico, Argentina, and Brazil; The EFL Championship is also included.
In terms of player criteria, all non-Liverpool players included in this analysis are 26 years of age and under.
After various search tweaks and fixes, etc., we are left with a list of 47 players – 43 generated from xGold, three Liverpool players (Endo, Gravenberch, and Tyler Morton), and Zubimendi.
All data and statistics used in the analysis date from 11 August 2023 (the first day of the 23/24 EPL season) to 9 August 2024 (the day of writing).
Defensive Presence – Data Analysis
Defensive ability and contribution are the bread and butter in the role of a defensive midfielder – Fabinho’s defensive presence was one of the most feared in world football when the Brazilian was in his prime.
We kick this data analysis off by allowing you to see every player included and their respective overall defensive contributions over the past year.
As will be a constant throughout this analysis, Zubimendi, along with the aforementioned three Liverpool players, will have their data plot highlighted in pink so they can be used as a reference point.
Of those four players, Japan’s captain Endō averages the most defensive contributions game-to-game—interestingly, the other three all post similar statistics.
Other players who stand out include West Ham player Edson Álvarez (12.42 successful defensive actions per 90), Lokomotiv Moscow’s Artyom Karpukas (11.78), and Real Betis’ Johnny Cardoso (11.26).
Diving slightly deeper into the defensive qualities of these midfielders, we now review their data within defensive duels.
Cardoso gets another mention due to his high success rate (70.16%) from a respectable 7.34 attempts per 90.
Meanwhile, Endō offers one of the highest engagement rates of the whole group, but his success rate doesn’t quite reach the heights that Liverpool desire.
Rangers midfielder Nicolas Raskin, formerly of Belgian club Standard Liége, has, in the given time parameters, posted some impressive data – 69.79% success rate from 10.98 defensive duel attempts per 90 – a great indication of high quality on a consistent basis at his current club level.
Gravenberch’s data here is an example of the difference in roles under Slot and Klopp.
While his attempt average is currently slightly lower than last season, his success rate has seen quite the jump, perhaps down to the positioning/location of the duels he is attempting; deeper in midfield, he may well be better prepared for duels than in higher positions in quick moments.
Zubimendi does have a lower engagement than many of the midfielders deemed to be of a similar profile to him but has a decent success rate of 63.01%; Tyler Morton posts similar statistics.
To conclude the defensive segment of this data analysis, we examine two similar yet totally separate metrics: blocked shots and interceptions.
Both metrics possess the trait of stopping the ball, hence the importance of getting these right when playing as a defensive midfielder.
Álvarez and Cardoso put themselves in a good light yet again by posting good numbers across both metrics, while Liverpool duo Endō and Gravenberch offer low rates of blocked shots.
The pair do have higher averages for interceptions, which is arguably the most important of the two in terms of a DM.
Zubimendi posts solid numbers again, including one of the higher interception rates (3.94 PAjd), which showcases his ability to read the game and disrupt opposition play.
Quality On the Ball – Data Analysis
As we’ve mentioned, Liverpool’s tactics under Slot differ from Klopp’s, so if they were to dip into the market for a new DM, they’d want someone who can progress possession and contribute to it as much as the more attacking duo ahead of them.
It’s not that Fabinho’s role in Liverpool’s midfield didn’t require quality on the ball; it’s just that the demand for quality on the ball in that position is arguably higher in Slot’s system.
Here, we look at several ball progression and important pass statistics to get insight into which of these midfielders have quality on the ball.
This first graph shows us who likes to make forward passes and how accurate they can be.
Last year, we released an article that used xGold to suggest replacements for Sergio Busquets as he departed Barcelona – Martín Zubimendi was one of the final three players we suggested; André was another.
Having recently joined Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers from Brazilian side Fluminense, André now has a chance to showcase his talents in front of a larger audience.
In fact, he has recently been linked with a move to Anfield, but the 23-year-old donned Fluminense’s red, white, and green for some more time before his eventual departure.
His qualities are undeniable—it will be interesting to see whether he can adapt them to be effective in the English game.
We mention him because some of his data is exceptional; you can see a snippet of this in the graph above, which demonstrates his energy on the ball—a high engagement and accuracy with forward passes bodes well for any midfielder.
Real Madrid midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni, another player who has previously been linked with Liverpool, posts similar numbers in this metric.
Fluminense seem to be able to develop high-quality midfielders, because Matheus Martinelli also posts impressive data when it comes to forward passing; high engagement, and accuracy.
The major four in question – the Liverpool current three and Zubimendi, all have similar forward pass accuracy rates, yet with varying attempt averages.
The progressive pass metric allows us to look further into a player’s ability to move possession forward significantly.
Immediately, one name will jump off the screen at you – Joey Veerman, PSV’s midfield talisman.
His incredible combination of high engagement and high accuracy (86.2% accuracy from 14.38 per 90) shows that he can be extremely effective in moving possession forward into dangerous areas.
Raskin and Tchouaméni post good numbers again – the same can be said for Tijjani Reijnders and Orkun Kökçü, although the latter has a significantly higher engagement rate.
Again, the Liverpool three and Zubimendi post similar accuracy rates, with Endō leading the way for engagement and Gravenberch for accuracy.
While grabbing assists is not a defensive midfielder’s primary function, it can be a very beneficial trait.
Liverpool youngster Tyler Morton, who spent last season on loan with Championship club Hull City, has been tipped to break through and seize the opportunity should Slot provide him with one.
He has demonstrated several defensive and in-possession abilities so far in his short career and could well be ready to test those attributes for the Reds’ first team.
Morton has a far higher rate for key passes and assists, showcasing an ability to create chances and contribute to attacking phases, even from a deep midfielder role.
Elsewhere, Veerman is once again way out on his own, with ridiculously impressive numbers for both metrics—a true creative force from midfield.
Final Recommendations – Data Analysis
Honourable mentions for Edson Álvarez and André, who, in another year or two, could become targets for Champions League clubs (the latter in particular), but there are two players on this list who, for us, stand out the most.
Joey Veerman – PSV: 80% similarity rating
PSV midfielder Joey Veerman has posted data that suggests he has enormous ability in chance creation and ball progression—both qualities that Slot has hinted are massively important in his tactics for a midfielder.
His goal contributions are also impressive—five goals and five assists already this season from four appearances is a fine start to the campaign; he chipped in with 21 goals and 21 assists in 29 league appearances last season, too, so we know this kind of attacking contribution is hardwired into his playstyle.
While he is more accustomed to playing as a number eight at PSV, he has had a good amount of experience playing in that position.
With an exception for aerial duels, he posts a similar, and in fact slightly higher, set of defensive statistics data.
Veerman may cost a decent fee, but if he brings creative influence and a solid defensive foundation in midfield, it could only be a matter of time before someone comes knocking for his services.
Johnny Cardoso – Real Betis: 83% similarity rating:
Already a reported target for Tottenham Hotspur, USA international Johnny Cardoso, who only joined La Liga side Real Betis in January 2024 from Brazilian side Internacional, has demonstrated a strong defensive ability as well as the capability to adapt to a higher-quality league.
While he doesn’t (yet) produce the same results on the ball as Veerman, for example, he posts a similar pass accuracy percentile to Zubimendi.
Cardoso also tends to carry the ball through the midfield third when possible, so he does bring a certain energy to the engine room.
As you can see, his defensive duel engagement, particularly his defensive duel win rate, are prominent features of his playstyle.
He is also quite the aerial force—we already saw earlier just what he brings to the table from a defensive perspective.
Should Liverpool opt to bring in a new face either in the January window or next summer, these two players, as well as a couple of others who have featured in this analysis, could be on their shortlist – a returning bid for Zubimendi is also on the cards if they think the midfielder could be persuaded.
Everything we’ve seen so far from Slot suggests that he has good faith in Ryan Gravenberch (for now, at least).
We could also see Tyler Morton given an opportunity to prove his worth to the team.
Even after all of this, it’s possible that the club’s decision-makers only saw the required traits in Zubimendi, as has been reported following their failed attempt to bring him to the club.
As mentioned, they may go back in for him later down the line.
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