As Liverpool look at the possibility of upgrading their midfield this summer, Eduardo Camavinga has emerged as a potential signing.
The Reds have been outbattled and outrun in the middle of the pitch this season, leading to a feeling that change could come in the transfer window.
After news emerged this week that Camavinga may be available for as little as £48m, the Real Madrid man would offer an immediate fix for Arne Slot. But how exactly would he fit into Liverpool‘s midfield under the Dutchman?
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Camavinga is an elite ball-winner
One big problem that Liverpool have had in their midfield this season is the lack of a proper ball-winner. With Ryan Gravenberch as the de facto number six, the Reds have been far too easy to play through.
There is a reason Slot wanted Martin Zubimendi in 2024, and although Camavinga is not a metronomic midfielder in the Arsenal star’s mould, he is at the very least a proper tackler.
In a stat which may surprise some supporters who think of him as a silky No. 8, Camavinga is well versed in the dirty side of the game. Averaging four tackles per 90 minutes, the France international ranks joint second in the whole of La Liga in this metric.
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Not all of those tackles are successful, clearly, but he has won the ball an average of 2.4 times per 90 minutes in La Liga this season. It should be noted that he has played less than half of the minutes of Gravenberch in the Premier League, for example, which skews the reading, but he easily clears the Dutchman’s own average of 1.08 successful tackles per 90.
Mac Allister (0.9) is beaten even more comfortably, with Dominik Szoboszlai also clocking in at 1.08.
Looking back over recent seasons, the last time Camavinga played more than 2,000 minutes in La Liga was 2022/23, when he averaged 2.16 successful tackles per 90, easily beating Gravenberch’s tally of 0.99 from his Premier League Young Player of the Year win in 2024/25.
Put in a wider Premier League context, Camavinga clears Moises Caicedo – generally considered one of the best No. 6’s around – for tackles won per 90 in each of the past four seasons, never dropping below an average of 2. In short, he’s an elite ball winner.
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Ability to mix it up in passing range
As well as being exceptionally useful out of possession, Camavinga is also predictably good while on the ball as well.
Using Gravenberch as a guide once again, the former Rennes man clears him in accurate passes per 90 minutes, accurate long balls per 90 and successful dribbles per 90 this season as well.
Camavinga also betters Liverpool’s two other regular starting midfielders – Mac Allister and Szoboszlai – in each category, and looking back across the past three seasons, he can only be beaten by Szoboszlai in long passing twice (23/24 + 24/25), Mac Allister in the same metric once (23/24) and by Gravenberch for dribbles per 90 in 23/24.
Excellent on the ball while also being robust in tackles and an adept screener of the defence when needed, Camavinga is exactly the kind of midfielder Liverpool have been missing.
Who would Camavinga replace?
When it comes to quality, there is little question that Liverpool should be looking at Camavinga if he is indeed available this summer. The only real red flag is the France international’s injury history, which has seen him miss 54 matches across the past five seasons.
Nevertheless, if he was added to Liverpool’s crop of outstanding, yet underperforming, midfielders, that occasional lack of availability would not be a huge issue.
For many supporters, Mac Allister is the player who is most at risk of being replaced at Liverpool this summer, however Camavinga would likely come in as a replacement for Gravenberch.
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Having just signed a new long-term deal with the Reds, the Dutchman is going nowhere this summer, though, and Camavinga’s arrival would instead likely see him move back to a more natural No. 8 role.
The pair arguably complement each other perfectly as a duo, and it would not be a surprise if Slot’s plan was to have a Camavinga/Gravenberch double pivot.
In that sense, Mac Allister may be the one to miss out, but it feels more probable that Camavinga would arrive to take Curtis Jones’ spot in the Liverpool squad. That would once again leave Slot with four potential starting midfielders of real quality, while also providing an all-round upgrade.
As they were with Gravenberch, some fans may be sceptical of signing a player from a huge club such as Real Madrid, but like the No. 38 was in 2023, Camavinga is still young enough to rebuild his career at the top level, and having learnt their lesson with Gravenberch’s addition, Liverpool could well do the same again.
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