Lionel Messi teammate ideal after Alexis Mac Allister as Liverpool should make wildcard transfer

Liverpool is going to embark on a bit of a midfield overhaul this summer. There’s already been a shortage of options at Anfield when it comes to the midfield, and with more players departing at the end of the season, the need for Jürgen Klopp to add more legs in the department will only increase this summer.

Crucially, Klopp won’t just have to sign midfielders for the starting XI, but he will also need utility players who are capable of covering the absence of departing midfielders like James Milner and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

This will make Klopp’s job a little bit trickier. It’s often quite easy to spot world-class talent but a little bit more difficult to do that for under-the-radar rough diamonds. Seeing potential in a player who isn’t as established takes a lot of skill and only the best scouts are able to find it.

READ MORE: Takumi Minamino deal should lead Jürgen Klopp to transfer fix as Liverpool exit could pose issue

READ MORE: Fábio Carvalho bid, more transfer decisions – Eight players who could exit Liverpool this summer

The fact that Klopp has been given more responsibility over transfers, on top of his many other duties at the club, is going to make this a very interesting transfer window for Liverpool. The Reds boss has shown in the past he has the ability to find raw talent and make them into world-class superstars.

Without him, players like Robert Lewandowski and Mohamed Salah would never have made it as far as they did. And there are countless other examples as well.

To find midfielders who could be the next Salah or Lewandowski, hiding away and ready to explode is a little bit more difficult. But in Argentinian midfielder Nicolás Domínguez, there might be a wildcard gem worth investigating for Liverpool this summer who is well-suited to the Reds’ midfield.

If you enjoyed this piece, you’ll love our Liverpool.com newsletter — every weekday, we send exclusive, bonus content only to people signed up for our mailing list!

Our newsletter subscribers get a rundown Monday to Friday from one of the best Liverpool FC writers — straight to your inbox, and completely for free.

Wherever you are in the world — in the US, the UK or further afield — you don’t want to miss out.

Sign up to the Liverpool.com newsletter here — it only takes a few seconds!

The Argentine international plies his trade in Serie A for Bologna, and has featured in 31 games from a possible 37 for the team so far this season in the league. Only 24 years old, Domínguez has impressively been recently given the captain’s armband as well.

Capable of playing as a deep-lying defensive midfielder and as a more box-to-box type player, he’s even played out wide on the left and the right in the past, making him a very tidy utility player.

Not necessarily the most productive in front of goal — he’s only made five goal contributions this season, in an albeit relatively conservative Bologna side — Domínguez’s best asset is his energy and the protective layer he can provide on the pitch.

As per FBref, among his positional peers, he has ranked in the 91st percentile for tackles per 90 (3.05) and for tackles won (1.92), tackling 51.3 per cent of the dribblers he has faced.

Nicolás Domínguez is an excellent midfield transfer option for Liverpool.

(Image: Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

But impressively, he’s also a midfielder who can instigate attacks and create opportunities for his teammates with sharp and decisive passes. He ranks in the 78th percentile for key passes per 90 (1.41) among midfielders, which is really impressive for someone who has played the vast majority of the season as a holding midfielder.

And he also ranks in the top 20 players for through balls made (16) in Europe’s top five leagues this season.

Someone who reads the game well, is hard to beat and can be decisive in possession, Domínguez has all the traits to go far in the game.

He’s not a world beater yet, but he’s got a lot of raw potential to be a top player who has already played 11 times for world champions Argentina alongside Lionel Messi and another Liverpool target in Alexis Mac Allister.

If Mac Allister and another more established midfielder can come in to hit the ground running immediately, Domínguez would be ideal as a third midfield signing with loads of potential and a high ceiling.

With his contract expiring in 2024, Liverpool won’t have a better chance to sign him, and Domínguez is definitely someone who should be on Klopp’s radar with a view to bringing him to Anfield this summer.

Story Saved

You can find this story in My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.