Liverpool have been linked with a whole host of midfielders as they look to rebuild a key area of their squad this summer.
Some of those, like Jude Bellingham, explain themselves. Of course Liverpool want the best midfield prospect of his generation, who wouldn’t? Names like Bellingham are bound to cause fevered excitement amongst the fanbase.
But other supposed targets have cause considerably less furore. One of those is Chelsea’s Mason Mount.
It emerged towards the end of last year that Liverpool are keeping a close eye on Mount’s contract standoff at Stamford Bridge. With just a year left on his deal come the summer, it’s make or break time.
Now, many Chelsea fans would no doubt be upset at seeing their Champions League-winning academy star leave. But others perhaps wouldn’t bat an eyelid. It’s fair to say that Mount is a player who has become a lightning rod for criticism during the Blues poor season so far.
So, why would Liverpool want such a polarising player? Well, the answer has just been laid bare before our eyes in the Reds latest squad announcement.
Mount position becomes clear
The short story is that Liverpool badly need ‘homegrown’ players added to their squad. As per the Liverpool Echo, Jurgen Klopp named his roster for the second half of the season yesterday. The Liverpool boss named only 24 out of a possible 25-man group.
Of those 24, Klopp has filled his whole quota of 17 overseas players. Liverpool can’t add any more. With only seven of the list being classed as homegrown, there’s a big imbalance going on.
This problem only deepens when you look at the names of those on the homegrown list. Thinking ahead to next season, it’s likely that as many as four could depart.
Jordan Henderson and Trent Alexander-Arnold are certainties to stick around. Meanwhile Joe Gomez will surely stay following his recent contract extension. By contrast, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and James Milner are out of contract, Nat Phillips will be on the market again and Caoimhin Kelleher could push to leave.
Curtis Jones will likely be bumped up from the U21 group, filling one of the spots. But beyond that, Liverpool may have to target a couple of British players.
Bellingham will obviously be the main candidate for that. As well as being the Reds’ top target for his footballing ability, the fact that he’s English is a handy little bonus. And then there’s Mount. Given his contract situation, the Liverpool’s need for homegrown lads and the fact that on his day he can be ‘world-class‘ on his day, signing him from Chelsea could be a really shrewd move. It’s all becoming clear.
Receive a digest of our best Liverpool content each week direct to your mailbox
