There seems to be – or at the very least has been – a consensus of sorts regarding Alexis Mac Allister’s ability to play the No.6 role.

Some fans have suggested that the Argentine simply doesn’t have the tools to be Liverpool’s first-choice holding midfield for the foreseeable future.

Running in tandem with reports around the Reds’ perceived interest in Andre Trindade of Fluminense, the expectation was that Jurgen Klopp’s men would land a new signing in January to free ‘Macca’.

But has our No.10 really been so poor as to justify the club’s recruitment team searching for a new No.6?

What do the numbers say?

Comparing Mac Allister’s numbers to those of Manchester City’s Rodri – arguably the league’s current premier holding midfielder – the former Brighton man isn’t being completely shown up by the stats.

Liverpool are conceding at a rate of 0.8 goals a game when the 24-year-old is on the pitch compared to City’s 0.6 this term when his Sky Blues counterpart is available, as per Transfermarkt.

◉ Bruno Fernandes – 7
◉ Casemiro – 6
◉ Mason Mount – 4
◎ Conor Gallagher – 3
◎ Alexis Mac Allister – 3
◎ Yves Bissouma – 2
◎ Declan Rice – 2
◎ Rodri – 1

Selected midfielders that have been dribbled past in the Premier League this season. pic.twitter.com/tdmWhkGcPW

— Football Daily (@footballdaily) August 22, 2023

There are, of course, stats available that go somewhat deeper into each player’s relative importance in the holding midfield role.

Our summer signing contributes more tackles (2.76), blocks (2.35) and interceptions (1.43) per 90 this season than either Rodri or, indeed, Declan Rice, and comes a close second with 7.35 recoveries per 90, as per FBref.

Where the numbers do critically differ to support the aforementioned consensus, however, is in the realm of possession – a key area, it has to be said, for a side transitioning to more possession-based football.

Whilst carrying the ball, Mac Allister has seen himself dispossessed a whopping 11 times in the Premier League this season. That’s three more than Rice (8) and almost double Rodri’s tally (6).

Interestingly, though the £35m signing does appear a more successful challenger out of possession, our World Cup winner completes double the number of unsuccessful attempts to challenge a dribbler (1.94) than his City (0.88) and Gunners (0.88) counterparts.

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What alternatives could Liverpool pursue in the market?

Fluminense’s Andre has been touted as a potential solution in the January market, though it remains to be seen whether that remains the case following reports that the club is considering alternative options.

If not the Copa Libertadores winner, then who?

To answer that question, Liverpool may need to ask a favour from one of their beloved former players in Xabi Alonso.

Mac Allister will be familiar with our next suggestion in his international teammate, and Bayer Leverkusen star, Exequiel Palacios.

The 25-year-old isn’t as reliable a duel-winner as Andre, though certainly appears the superior option in that regard to our own resident holding midfielder.

It explains, in part, Leverkusen’s remarkable defensive record in 2023/24, with Alonso’s side having conceded only once more (10) than the German top-flight’s best defence in Bayern Munich (9), joint with RB Leipzig.

The Bundesliga midfielder boasts a higher pass completion rate this term (91.9% vs 87.7%) from a higher total attempted per 90 (100.3 vs 72.8).

Intriguingly, Palacios has only been dispossessed on three occasions compared to Mac Allister’s 11.

A feasible transfer?

We said Liverpool would have to call in a favour, didn’t we? And boy oh boy, would that be a FAVOUR and a half!

The German top-flight outfit has very recently agreed a contract extension with their star midfielder to keep him at the club until the summer of 2028.

Whilst we’re on the subject, reliable Bundesliga reporter Christian Falk said this about the player back in September (via CaughtOffside’s Daily Briefing): “At Leverkusen they’re very clear that they don’t want any more exits from the club – and that includes Exequiel Palacios despite rumours around Liverpool. Piero Hincapie is another player considered ‘not for sale’.

“Leverkusen are doing very well in the Bundesliga and Palacios is a part of Xabi Alonso’s plans for the campaign.”

Leverkusen will, of course, demand top, top dollar for his services, even if the player’s head were to be turned by the possibility of a January move.

Football Transfers’ transfer valuation system puts Palacios’ value at between £19.1m-£31.9m. Frankly, though, we’d be astonished if the actual price tag wasn’t at least double the highest end of that range.

£60m-plus is a serious amount of money for us to spend after forking out £145.7m for Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai, Mac Allister and Wataru Endo in the summer.

Ultimately, our very own Argentine sensation isn’t performing poorly despite a handful of instances this season exposing his limited recovery pace.

It’s worth highlighting too that it’s remarkable how strong his numbers are despite finding himself in a brand-new midfield at times when Curtis Jones has been unavailable.

It suggests that we shouldn’t be sharpening our pitchforks in a bid to push our coaching staff to shove Mac Allister higher up the pitch just yet (even if his abilities would lend well to a more advanced role).

That said, if the club still remains keen on the prospect of bolstering the midfield once more in January, they could do far worse than going all out for the potentially uber-pricey option of Exequiel Palacios.

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According to an update from Christian Falk, Liverpool look set to be frustrated over two reported transfer targets from Bayer Leverkusen.

The Reds have been linked with Exequiel Palacios and Piero Hincapie in recent days and may have been hoping their connections with the Bundesliga club’s manager Xabi Alonso would help to curry favour, but it appears very much that the Merseysiders will be given short shrift.

Writing for the Daily Briefing on CaughtOffside, the German football journalist stated: “At Leverkusen they’re very clear that they don’t want any more exits from the club – and that includes Exequiel Palacios despite rumours around Liverpool. Piero Hincapie is another player considered ‘not for sale’.

“Leverkusen are doing very well in the Bundesliga and Palacios is a part of Xabi Alonso’s plans for the campaign. The same goes for Hincapie.

“Leverkusen have similar problems to what Liverpool have had in the past with Edmond Tapsoba in that they need Hincapie for when the Burkinabé links up with Burkino Faso for the AFCON later in winter. So they won’t let him go.”

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With Ryan Gravenberch set to complete his move from Bayern Munich today, assuming his medical goes as planned, the addition of a fourth midfielder at Liverpool this summer would reduce the need to bring in Palacios.

It’s easy to see why the Reds would’ve been targeting the Argentina international until they broke ground in their pursuit of the Dutchman, so they shouldn’t be too upset over Leverkusen’s hardline stance on the 2022 World Cup winner.

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However, Jurgen Klopp may well be frustrated that Hincapie now seems unattainable, with the Merseysiders at risk of facing a centre-back shortage amid Ibrahima Konate’s injury and Virgil van Dijk’s suspension.

The Ecuadorian would’ve offered a left-footed option at the heart of defence who can also fill in at left-back (Transfermarkt), so he may have been a hugely valuable asset for Liverpool to have in a season where squad rotation will be crucial.

It’s a shame that the 21-year-old looks out of reach for the Reds, but with little more than 12 hours remaining until the transfer deadline, Jorg Schmadtke must instead focus his efforts on trying to bring in a defender who we’ve a reasonable chance of signing by 11pm tonight.

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Liverpool are reportedly said to hold an interest in Bayer Leverkusen’s Exequiel Palacios, though the club’s managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, has made clear that an exit will not happen.

The defensive midfielder has been described as a ‘defensive genius’ for Xabi Alonso’s men, amassing some impressive stats in The Athletic’s analysis.

“Bayer Leverkusen’s managing director for sport, Simon Rolfes, has said Exequiel Palacios is going nowhere this summer,” Carl Anka reported for the publication.

“This is why he wants to keep him amid Liverpool’s interest.

“Leverkusen regard Palacios as a defensive genius. He is a touch-tight tackler (as shown by his defending intensity score of 88), who matches a high-energy style with effectiveness when looking to win the ball (defending impact score of 75).”

The Merseysiders had been keen on landing a specialist No.6 to replace now Saudi Pro League star Fabinho, though rapidly changed direction after settling on Wataru Endo of Stuttgart.

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As such, we’d be massively surprised to have seen the club make a move for the Bundesliga star regardless given our current preference for a multi-functional midfielder.

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Far more likely now is the signing of fellow German top-flight star Ryan Gravenberch, with whom we are understood to be engaging in talks following an apparent softening of Bayern Munich’s stance.

Going into the campaign with added depth in the holding midfield role (the former Ajax man can, and has, played in a deeper role for both the Eredivisie side and Bayern) beyond the signings of Endo, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister would have to be lauded as a superb show of intent from Liverpool.

Even more so if we can cap it off with the purchase of extra cover in the backline before the window closes on 1st September.

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