Liverpool have identified PERFECT back-up for Ryan Gravenberch

Prior to the emergence of Ryan Gravenberch, the team was in a whirlwind of trouble regarding defensive midfield.

Countless players had decided against a move, with Martin Zubimendi's rejection just the latest in a series of significant blows to Liverpool's transfer strategy.

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Wataru Endo had been brought in ahead of the 2023/24 campaign as a stop-gap signing to keep the team ticking along until the right option became available, with Alexis Mac Allister filling in from time to time. But Gravenberch had been neglected, with Jurgen Klopp left stumped as to how best to utilise him.

But upon Arne Slot's arrival on Merseyside this summer, things changed. Endo was disregarded as a player who would be fighting for minutes and after trialling the role in pre-season, it was decided that Gravenberch was capable of playing in defensive midfield - going on to become one of the most impressive No6's in the world this season.

Liverpool's latest undroppable player

Across the Reds' 31 games so far this season, Gravenberch has featured in 27, starting in each of them and playing an average of 85 minutes per start.

To break that down, the Dutchman has been involved in every one of the team's Premier League (20) and Champions League (6) contests, with the other appearance coming in the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final tie against Tottenham.

Gravenberch is by definition, essential to the way that Slot plays his football - basing himself deep in midfield, covering from time to time as a centre-back and dribbling up the pitch to assist in attacking phases of play.

His efforts this season have been extraordinary compared to last season, and now that he has found a way to fit into Liverpool's team, he can finally begin to feel at home on Merseyside.

When Sky Sports pundits Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville looked to create their mid-season team of the season XIs, Gravenberch featured in both teams, signifying how impressive he has been in this campaign so far.

In bringing Gravenberch into defensive midfield, Mac Allister has in turn been allowed to play as a No8 which is more closely aligned to his natural position and the remained of the midfield personnel have slotted seamlessly into the other roles.

Endo continues to be a player that Liverpool can rely on if necessary, but it is clear that Slot does not back him to play as a No6 in the big games - which is why the club was on the search for a player like Zubimendi.

Why question that is now being posed, is whether Gravenberch is enough to be able to call off the plans to bring in another defensive midfielder, because in becoming one of Liverpool's best players, the hole that would be left if he were to get an injury as a result of being over-relied on, would be enormous.

As such, it is in my view that another recruit is required and while the club may have overlooked him in the past, an old target of Liverpool's may just be the perfect solution to the team's needs.

Andre flying under the radar at Wolves

Before his £19m move to Wolverhampton Wanderers on Deadline Day this summer, Andre was playing in Brazil at Fluminense, delivering standout performances at the base of midfield.

The 2023 Copa Libertadores winner had been on the Reds' radar during the summer before the 2023/24 campaign and then once again in January 2024, although the rumours of a move fell silent and nothing materialised.

It was thought that Fulham would be his most likely destination after Joao Palhinha moved to Bayern Munich, but nothing happened there and the next we heard of him was when Wolves announced they had signed him.

At the time, I was fascinated by the move as it seemed clear that the only reason no one had taken a punt on the 23-year-old was because he had only ever played in Brazil and the transition to European football can often prove difficult at first.

Yet, he quickly took to his task and the transition looked to be almost seamless - winning countless duels, playing inch-perfect long balls and dominating the midfield battles by controlling the passing lanes.

On the face of it, Liverpool had missed out on a massive trick in not going back in for Andre. His £19m price tag instantly looked to be a bargain, his age profile fitted in well with the group that Liverpool had been trying to create, and was already a member of the Brazilian international set-up, so the player was ready for a big move.

But in not making the move, the Reds had an impressive replacement in Gravenberch, who was already at the club, in need of regular game time, and so missing out on Andre didn't really matter.

However, now six months into the season, Andre's performance levels have failed to drop, even despite Wolves' overall poor form in the Premier League and a player that once was easily forgettable is quickly becoming a stand-out gem that Liverpool should take note of.

While he is contracted until 2029, he may find himself playing in the Championship next season if Wolves aren't too careful and for a player delivering the numbers that he is in what is regarded as the hardest football league in the world, the opportunity to remain in the Premier League would surely be too good to ignore.

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A look at the numbers - Gravenberch's perfect back-up

As is common this season, Wolves dropped points to Newcastle last night by losing 3-0 at St James' Park, and yet amongst all the carnage and disappointment, was Andre.

Per Sofascore, he had made 30 accurate passes (97%), two key passes, two accurate long balls (66%), one big chance created, 7 out of 13 duels won, one clearance, six tackles and two interceptions.

To put that into context, that's the same amount of duels won as Bruno Guimaraes, and the same number of tackles as Newcastle's entire midfield three - Guimaraes, Sandro Tonali and Joelinton. On a lacklustre night for Wolves, their last-minute signing was magnificent.

And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Look back to when Manchester United visited Wolves in December. This time, the hosts won, but Andre delivered his performance of the season - two out of two long balls, one key pass, two out of two successful dribble attempts, seven out of eight ground duels and four tackles.

The season the Brazilian finds himself having is going directly under the radar and if Wolves end up being relegated, when Liverpool could have a golden opportunity to sweep him up, for a discounted fee, while knowing that he is now Premier League-proven.

And if we looked at his season-long stats, the picture becomes all the more clear.

Using Squawka's comparison matrix, Gravenberch and Andre look to be the perfect match. Each of their strengths is the other's weakness, neither has been impacted by an injury this season and both play in the heart of defensive midfield.

Liverpool could in essence have a back-up for the Dutchman to fill in when a new dynamic is required in Slot's engine room and when games get particularly physical, there is the prospect of a double-pivot built in heaven, capable of dealing with anything thrown their way.

Now that Zubimendi is reportedly on his way to Arsenal, the Reds' hierarchy will be left racking their brains at who their next transfer target will be, ensuring that the player does not mind fighting for his place, fits Slot's system to a tee, won't cost too much and will not infringe on the other players.

Well. In 23-year-old Andre, you've got a seasoned international, with Premier League experience, who would likely be available for around £30m or less, on wages of £35,000 a week, who has the perfect profile to dovetail with Gravenberch and deliver a new dynamic to Liverpool's team.

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