The 6 midfielders Liverpool have shortlisted in huge £200m spree

Having dismissed the idea of signing midfield star Jude Bellingham, Liverpool will have a reported £200 million to spend as part of a summer overhaul.

The 2022/23 season will bring no silverware and Liverpool are now outsiders in the race for Champions League places. The fall from Premiership title contenders and Champions League finalists to where they sit now has been stark, but FootballTransfers suggest that manager Jurgen Klopp will still have over £200 million to spend as the Reds look to bounce back next season.

With the midfield trio of Naby Keita, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner all set to enter the final months of their contracts, it is widely expected that the money will be poured into this area and several stars have been linked with a move to Anfield.

Former Reds defender, Jamie Carragher, has also been critical this week over the clubs handling of the Bellingham saga and midfield recruitment:

"The discontent that I and many Liverpool supporters felt when the Bellingham revelation emerged on Tuesday evening is about the realisation the entire season has been a write-off based on a false pretence. How can the club suddenly baulk at a valuation exceeding £100 million? They know that is the going rate for the best in class.  The club knows the elephant in the room is failing to sign a ready-made central midfielder last summer."

So exactly who may be heading to Liverpool to counter these concerns?

The biggest name to be linked is West Ham skipper Declan Rice who, according to Sky Sports reports this week, is a new target and would no doubt bring a dynamism and touch of class as displayed in numerous performances in the past 12 months for club and country.

Another surprising link is with Fulham star Joao Palhinha who, according to talkSPORT, is a firm favourite of Klopp’s who admires his combative style and ability to dictate play.

Long-standing rumours also still stand with regards to Brighton’s Moises Caicedo, whose head was turned by Arsenal earlier this season, and Matheus Nunes and Ruben Neves both of Wolves. Whilst Mason Mount has been linked with a move away from Chelsea and could enjoy linking up with fellow England midfielder Jordan Henderson.

As fans now begin to look toward the 2023/24 season, Klopp spoke this week to Sky Sports reporters about plans and current thinking on improving the squad:

"Whatever we do next season will never be enough from people’s point of view. But with smart recruitment we will improve definitely. That is the plan. We cannot make 24 changes and say ‘here we go’ – not even 10 – but it is just that we have to make changes, smart changes, and then we go again."

So entering the final stretch, Liverpool will want to finish with a flourish and go into the summer break with some momentum and high hopes for the next term.