Too many question marks remain to justify turning transfer attention elsewhere
Paul Gorst: Having seen their midfield crumble due to form and fitness problems last term, the big question for Liverpool this summer has centred around just how many additions constitutes an acceptable rebuild?
With James Milner, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keita now officially off the wage bill and Arthur Melo back at Juventus after an ill-fated loan spell, there has been much debate about how many players the Reds need to adequately restructure their engine room.
With Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai now both through the door, do Liverpool need a third to truly bolster that department or should they use whatever is left of the transfer kitty, one that does not have the luxury of the Champions League bounty to replenish it, elsewhere?
Should a centre-back now be targeted or do the Reds still need another midfielder to ensure the problems that blighted them last term are over for good? These are the pertinent questions Jurgen Klopp will now wrestle with.
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For my money, I think a third midfielder would truly see the midfield department rebuilt. While the arrival of a new player is always something of a relative unknown, there are too many other question marks already within the ranks to say Mac Allister and Szoboszlai will be enough.
Can Stefan Bajcetic's body handle the rigours of Premier League football for the long term?
Will Thiago Alcantara stay fit?
Is Fabinho really over the worst of form issues?
Can Jordan Henderson get back to the levels of the last few years?
Will Harvey Elliott and Curtis Jones really build on their efforts last season?
Put simply, there are still too many posers for Klopp to assess to believe that an additional midfielder is not needed.
Whoever that third signing is I'll leave to the recruitment team, but a more defensive-minded operator would really show the Reds mean business this coming campaign after the excellent additions of Mac Allister and Szoboszlai. Liverpool have started their summer transfer work in superb fashion but a third and final midfield option is still needed.
Liverpool have to fix previous transfer mistakes first
Joe Rimmer: The necessity of Liverpool's midfield rebuild is driven by the mistakes made in previous windows.
Had Liverpool been more aggressive or, to use Jurgen Klopp's own words, taken more chances in summers gone by, they wouldn't need the bodies they do in the middle of the park.
But, after failed pursuits of Aurelien Tchouameni and Jude Bellingham saw the Reds choose to gamble in going again, they've found themselves in a position where they simple have to invest most of their money on midfielders this summer.
Indeed, even after signing Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, they can't afford to go into next season relying on the fitness or form of players such as Jordan Henderson, Thiago, Fabinho, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott or Stefan Bajcetic. Whether it be injuries, lack of experience or issues with form, each of those have shown that they need reliable bodies around them.
Therefore it's essential Liverpool get the foundations right and aren't tempted to wait until next summer to see who is available then.
In doing so, however, they can't allow other areas of the team to stagnate in the same way they did with the midfield. So while I'd argue that remains the priority, a young centre-back should also be recruited to help ease the transition with the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip now in their thirties.
One more through the door should be sufficient
Tom Cavilla: Liverpool's midfield has received a major upgrade in the form of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai - and the revamp of this department should not end there.
The Reds' lack of investment in this part of the pitch came back to bite Jurgen Klopp's side last season, injuries to key players leaving the team short of options and quality as fixtures began to pile up.
Being left short in midfield is simply a risk Liverpool cannot afford to take for the second summer transfer window in succession and should therefore result in a third and final arrival in the coming weeks.
The likes of Khephren Thuram and Romeo Lavia have been mentioned as two possible additions to the squad and both individuals would provide some much-needed physicality to the team: an issue Szoboszlai will help address after completing his £60million move.
I am not sure Liverpool can continue to call upon Fabinho and Jordan Henderson on a weekly basis, if recent performances are anything to go by, and Thiago Alcantara's fitness issues means there are no guarantees the Spaniard can string together a run of games in the side. Opportunities will be forthcoming for Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott and Stefan Bajcetic next campaign, but they are not the individuals likely to be central figures in the team's quest for silverware.
