Report: Paulinha the preferred holding midfield option as Liverpool scramble for alternatives

Time is ticking fast for Liverpool to lock in the defensive midfielder that they have chasing for the large majority of the summer transfer window.

To say that it has been a desperately deflating last few days for anyone associated with the club would be one of the biggest understatements of 2023.

For a brief moment on Friday it seemed as if the club had pulled off one hell of a coup in capturing the coveted Moises Caicedo from Brighton.

The fact that Liverpool had entered the bidding at all was of great surprise as all eyes were focussed on wrapping up the deal for Romeo Lavia from Southampton.

With all Reds fans wanting a quick end to that prolonged saga, it seemed that the key figures had been awoken to the fact that they needed to get a move on and make a statement of intent.

But as quickly as hopes had risen of a masterstroke, they quickly diminished over the weekend as Caicedo was intent on moving to Chelsea who he had been in discussions with for a few months prior.

While there was more hope than confidence attached to that bid, attention then moved to sealing the deal for Lavia.

But what Liverpool did not expect was their transfer nemesis rearing their ugly head once again and snatching the young Belgian out of their grasp leaving the Reds empty handed and increasingly desperate.

Everyone in senior positions at the club knew how pivotal this summer was as they looked to move on from a forgettable 2022/3 campaign and transition into a new era.

Jurgen Klopp spoke regularly about getting their business done early and for a time those words were proven correct with Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai locked away by the beginning of July.

But since then it has been nothing short of a muddled mess with the unplanned departures of Jordan Henderson and Fabinho further complicating matters

But the method of seemingly being interested in players and then leaving them cold in a instant  has proven to be incredibly poor practice and reportedly played a part in Lavia choosing Chelsea over the club which had coveted him for a large part of the summer.

Young French star Khephren Thuram is in the same boat, he was the name frequently mentioned when it came to signing a young holding midfielder earlier in the summer, but was then seemingly overlooked for Lavia.

Now The Mail reports that the club have had to backtrack and revisit some of those players.

While Thuram is now back in the frame, the report says that the number one target is Joao Palhinha from Fulham who is currently out of action with a shoulder injury.

The 28 year-old who made the most successful tackles in the league last season is valued in the region of £60 million and while he would certainly do the job asked, the question mark looms large regarding signing someone with his age profile and whether it fits the definition of what the club want to do. On the face of it, the answer would be a clear no.

Cheick Doucoure is someone that ticks many boxes but the most pertinent question to ask is after losing Wilf Zaha to Galatasaray and set to see Michael Olise depart to Chelsea, why would Palace want to see another prized asset depart with just over two weeks of the window left, putting themselves in a significant hole as they look to maintain their league status?

Just like Thuram, Sofyan Amrabat and Kalvin Phillips at Man City are believed to be back in consideration, but they certainly are not players that move the needle in the way that Caicedo would or carry the potential that Lavia or Doucoure have.

Meanwhile, Andre who has impressed many observers during the Copa Libertadores will not be leaving Fluminese during this window.

With rival clubs knowing that Liverpool have money in their coffers after the failed big money bids, there is no way that any potential deal will be done on the cheap, further highlighting the mess they have found themselves to be in.

The next two weeks shape as being pivotal in regards to what kind of season Liverpool will have.

And beyond that, if a clear transfer structure can be developed once again.

Getting everyone on the same page again would be a good start.