Liverpool’s lavish spending this summer has given them one of the best starting elevens in Europe. New signings like Hugo Ekitiké and Alexander Isak have elevated their attack from players like Darwin Núñez and Luis Diaz, who struggled at times last season.
However, even with their big spend, there is still room for them to improve in January and next summer. On deadline day, they secured the signing of Isak but failed to get a deal for Crystal Palace captain Marc Guehi over the line.
Centre-back is one of the positions where the squad is thinnest, and when Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate are out, they only have Joe Gomez and new youngster Giovanni Leoni as naturals in the position. Guehi will be available as a free agent next summer, but Real Madrid are now looking to snatch him up.
Another position that needs some reinforcement is the deeper part of the midfield. Alexis Mac Allister, Dominic Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch are the three most common faces in midfield, but when they’re rotated, options are only really Curtis Jones and Wataru Endo, with the latter often being utilised in a makeshift defensive role.
Due to this, the Premier League champions are looking at bringing in another midfielder so they can compete across the Champions League and the domestic competitions.
Stiller the new name in midfield hunt
A number of midfielders have been linked with the Liverpool midfield role next summer but a new name in contention is Stuttgart’s Angelo Stiller. On Liverpool’s 2026 summer transfer business, transfer journalist Graham Bailey said: “In my opinion, Liverpool are going to want another CDM next year, a top-class one.
“Angelo Stiller would do that role, but I do personally wonder whether Carlos Baleba and Adam Wharton would be higher up in the pecking order; obviously, they would come with significantly higher price tags. It wouldn’t surprise me if we see Liverpool getting involved in those conversations a bit more.”
Stiller is currently valued at around £40 million, but Wharton and Baleba could both be double that or even more. In the summer, Manchester United decided not to pursue the Brighton midfielder after it was made clear they wouldn’t drop their asking price below £100 million.
Stiller indicates shift in desired profile
The shift in focus from Wharton and Baleba to Stiller is not just a monetary change but a stylistic one. Wharton and Baleba’s strengths lie defensively, whereas Stiller is more of a ball-playing footballer, more in the vein of Pedri, who FBREF rank as a similar profile.
24/25 Season Stats Per 90
Passes
Tackles
Baleba
38.8
2.67
Wharton
37.5
2.33
Stiller
72.8
1.61
Pedri
75.1
1.91
Based on these metrics, it seems that Liverpool is after a different profile midfielder rather than a cheaper one. Slot is clearly looking for a player who can play the ball well and support with ball progression.
This season has demonstrated that even the midfielders who would be expected to be contributing defensively, like Gravenberch, are also expected to contribute in attack. While Slot’s side has conceded a significant amount of goals this season, they are winning games by outscoring teams, and this may be why there has been a shift in target to a midfielder like Stiller.