Liverpool were far from their best once again on Sunday despite securing a narrow win over West Ham.
The Reds have been poor of late, losing three of their past four games in all competitions.
And although Liverpool started better at Anfield against the Hammers, they quickly fell back into a worryingly familiar pattern.
At this stage of the season, with the Premier League title so close, it’s arguable that performances no longer matter.
However, Liverpool do need to start picking themselves up to avoid ending the season with a real whimper.
Part of the problem for the Reds has been a lack of creativity in the midfield. And as they survey how to rectify that in the summer market, they can use Lucas Paqueta’s performance on Sunday as the archetype.
Liverpool need a player like Lucas Paqueta
Liverpool were very, very fortunate to get the win over West Ham on Sunday. The Reds started well but were all over the place throughout the second-half.
Perhaps the Reds are just struggling with the weight of getting the league title over the line. Maybe they’re running on empty. Whatever it is, Arne Slot needs to sort it out.
No matter the issue, it’s undeniable that bringing in a creative player from deep will help Liverpool look a little less one-paced.
Harvey Elliott has shown plenty in his cameos this term but Slot does not appear to trust the 21-year-old. And Paqueta’s performance at Anfield showed how impactful a player in that ilk can be.
The Brazilian was excellent on Sunday, growing into the game to the point he was running the show in the second period.
Time after time the 27-year-old carved the Liverpool defence open, showing the kind of unpredictability on the ball which has been severely lacking from the Reds all year long.
Who could Liverpool sign?
Liverpool have been linked with Xavi Simons over recent weeks and it feels like a player in that kind of mould is now a real priority for Slot.
| Accurate Passes | Chances Created | Successful Dribbles | Passes Into Final Third | |
| Lucas Paqueta vs Liverpool | 45/56 | 1 | 2/2 | 15 |
Paqueta himself would be an interesting option, but the £51m man is unlikely to be on Liverpool’s radar.
Fans have been getting excited over the prospect of Kevin De Bruyne joining Liverpool in a surprise move this summer, but that also looks unlikely to happen.
Lyon’s Rayan Cherki would offer another interesting alternative, or Slot could of course simply put more trust in Elliott.
Whatever the boss’ solution, though, Paqueta showed why adding the guile and spark of a creative midfielder simply has to be done this summer.
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