Liverpool's Midfield Changes: Trusting Youth Over Market Moves

Liverpool are preparing to trim their midfield ranks again – and this time it’s without a replacement lined up.

Curtis Jones has already gone, completing a £30m move to Inter Milan, and the expectation was simple: lose a homegrown midfielder, bring in a new one, ideally with a defensive edge. On paper, it looked like the obvious next step.

Liverpool see it differently.

Faith in Nyoni, not the market

The midfield debate at Anfield has been simmering for weeks. Wataru Endo is the only recognised defensive midfielder in the squad, but he is firmly behind Ryan Gravenberch, Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister in the battle for starting roles.

That hierarchy is now even clearer. Szoboszlai, Gravenberch and Mac Allister will contest the two advanced midfield spots. Behind them, Liverpool have promoted 17-year-old Trey Nyoni to fourth choice. Endo is effectively the fifth man, cover rather than cornerstone.

This isn’t a stopgap. It’s a decision.

Graeme Bailey reported earlier in the week that Liverpool had opted against signing another midfielder despite Jones’ exit. Now that stance has been reinforced by The Athletic’s Liverpool reporter James Pearce, who says the plan is locked in.

Pearce wrote that, despite the noise around the midfield – noise that only grew after the dramatic 2-2 draw with Newcastle – senior figures at the club insist the priority lies elsewhere. Liverpool want to strengthen out wide, not in the middle of the pitch.

They do not intend to replace Jones. Internally, they regard Nyoni as ready to take on a bigger role this season. Unless something dramatic changes, any incoming business will focus solely on the forward line.

For a club that once built its recent success on a dominant, physically imposing midfield, it is a bold bet on youth, versatility and internal solutions.

Bajcetic set for Celta return

And just as that picture settles, Liverpool are ready to let another midfielder go.

Stefan Bajcetic, one of the few natural defensive-minded options in the squad, is close to leaving Anfield. Injuries have repeatedly stalled the 21-year-old’s progress in England, turning what once looked like a breakthrough into a stop-start struggle.

With just a year left on his contract, Liverpool have moved towards a permanent parting of ways.

Trusted reporter Matteo Moretto reports that Bajcetic is set to return to his former club Celta Vigo. A club-to-club agreement is already in place. The fee is described as nominal, with Liverpool instead banking on a sell-on clause that could become significant if the Spaniard rebuilds his career back in La Liga.

Fabrizio Romano has added that Celta and Bajcetic are now close to agreeing personal terms, clearing the final major hurdle before the move is completed.

So Liverpool will head into the new season lighter in midfield, leaning on a teenager in Nyoni, trusting the versatility of Mac Allister and the dynamism of Szoboszlai and Gravenberch, and keeping Endo as experienced cover.

No new holding midfielder. Two out, none in. For a club chasing major honours, it’s not just a tactical call – it’s a statement of what they believe this squad, and especially its youngest members, can withstand.