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Liverpool’s midfield has long been something of a puzzle.
The responsibilities of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah on Jürgen Klopp’s attacking line are clear and easy to define, but the roles of the trio that back them in midfield are much more difficult to resolve.
Fabinho’s is the easiest of the three to understand; the Brazilian is the anchor that makes Liverpool’s attacking approach possible further up the field. Without him, the Reds would lack structure.
But the roles of Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum can be a bit more difficult to pull off.
Klopp, however, understands that these three players work well together, that they complement each other, and the results are clear for all to see, with Fabinho, Henderson and Wijnaldum all key figures when Liverpool ended the 2019/20 season as runaway champions of the Premier League. , lifting the club’s first title in 30 years.
However, Liverpool have no time to rest on their laurels. Klopp must continue to evolve and adapt to the Reds at the top of the English game, and with Henderson 30 years old and Wijnaldum turning 30 in November, the Reds boss needs to keep a close eye on the future of his midfield unit.
This is where Edouardo Camavinga could enter Liverpool thinking. The 17-year-old is one of the brightest young talents in the European game and played 25 times for Rennes in Ligue 1 last season.
Camavinga has the makings of a future superstar and Liverpool, according to reports from the Spanish outlet Sport (via Meter) earlier this year, they were among the young midfielder’s suitors.
Of course it seems unlikely that the Reds will make a move this summer as the club has turned its attention to signing Thiago Alcantara from Bayern Munich.
But Camavinga should certainly be on the radar as a player who could bridge the gap between his current midfield unit and the next generation.
This week, Camavinga became the Youngest player since WWII to be called up to the French national team, underlining the potential he has.
The teenager only played 26 minutes of Rennes’ clash with Lille in the opening weekend of the new Ligue 1 season, but still managed to contribute the assist that saw his team salvage a 1-1 draw.
Camavinga is comfortable with the ball at his feet and has the ability to take a pass from deep, but his real strength is in the mobility he brings.
This allows the young Frenchman to cover ground like few can, and means he can be used as the deep figure in a midfield three, like Fabinho, or as part of a double pivot.
Last season, Camavinga averaged an impressive 4.2 tackles per 90 minutes in Ligue 1 (according to WhoScored) in addition to 1.4 interceptions per 90 minutes.
For context, Fabinho only averaged 2.2 tackles and 1.2 interceptions per Premier League outing for Liverpool last season, although the Brazilian saw more of the ball, such is the benefit of playing for a team that tends to dominate possession.
Liverpool have enjoyed great success in purchasing players who are about to reach the peak of their careers and Camavinga, although only 17 years old, looks set to become a world-class operator in the coming seasons.
If the Reds aren’t planning a move this summer, it would be wise to devise a strategy that gets the teen to Merseyside at some point in the future.
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