Liverpool have reportedly left the race for Jude Bellingham, turning their focus to signing multiple midfielders this summer. To determine which of their targets would best suit their needs, an analytics program called Smarterscout was used to generate player profiles. Unsurprisingly, Bellingham was found to be good at everything, but signing him alone would leave Liverpool reliant on him to carry the entire midfield department.
Conor Gallagher, Mason Mount, Matheus Nunes, Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Nicolo Barella, and Ryan Gravenberch are all potential signings that could bring the same value as Bellingham. Gallagher is a ball-carrier and an excellent disrupter of opposition attacks, while Mount is dynamic and creative. Nunes has an above-average ball-retention and link-up play, while Caicedo is an excellent ball-retainer and link player. Mac Allister is an elite out-of-possession midfielder with fantastic ball retention and impressive attacking metrics, while Barella has pedigree with several years in the Champions League and a Scudetto from 2021. Lastly, Gravenberch is a frequent dribbler and link-up player with slightly above average defending metrics.
Though it remains to be seen if Liverpool will find a way to sign Bellingham, the data suggests that it is possible to replicate his upside with two or three signings. Now it’s up to the executive branch of the club to get the business done.