Why a Jurgen Klopp Favourite Profiles as Liverpool’s Most Logical Midfield Fix

Ask most Liverpool supporters where the current squad still feels light and the same answer tends to come back: central midfield. For a club built on control, intensity and cohesion in the middle third, the current mix of options under Andoni Iraola looks talented but incomplete.

The question for Liverpool’s hierarchy is not whether to strengthen, but what profile of midfielder can unlock the pieces already in place without blocking the pathway of emerging talent.

Midfield Built for a Press, Not Yet for Balance

Iraola has constructed a team that is designed to press aggressively and dictate play in the middle of the pitch. That approach broadly mirrors the high-energy model that made Liverpool so competitive under Jurgen Klopp in domestic and European competition governed by the Premier League and UEFA.

Right now, though, the balance is off. Liverpool possess several players who individually suit a front-foot style, but collectively the unit does not yet function with the control and positional discipline required over 90 minutes.

One of the core issues is that Iraola has an overload of similar profiles:

• Dominik Szoboszlai is at his best when pressing high, harassing opponents and breaking lines with his running and passing. He thrives when someone behind him anchors possession and joins the build-up from deep.
• Ryan Gravenberch is an athletic ball-carrier who prefers to drive forward rather than sit and screen the defence. His instincts are progressive, not holding.
• Alexis Mac Allister is more naturally suited to operating as a deeper midfielder who can recycle possession and take responsibility in build-up. Even so, it is not a perfect fit, particularly in games where Liverpool are exposed in transition.

In theory, academy talent Trey Nyoni offers a long-term answer as a deep-lying midfielder who can both protect the back line and connect play. The open question is whether Nyoni is ready to shoulder that responsibility over a full Premier League campaign, with its physical and tactical demands and the pressure that comes with a club expecting to compete for major honours.

That is why a short-to-medium term solution is attractive: a player who can stabilise the structure without permanently closing off Nyoni’s route into the senior team.

The Case for Vitaly Janelt as a Structural Signing

Into that debate steps Vitaly Janelt. The Brentford midfielder has earned his first call-up to the Germany senior squad, a selection made by former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. For a player who has operated largely outside the traditional “top six” spotlight, that is a notable endorsement of his tactical reliability and athletic output.

Janelt’s numbers this Premier League season underline why he appeals to coaches who value intensity and positional discipline. He has covered the third-most distance in the division, at 58.8 kilometres, and ranks fifth for interceptions with 3.20 per 90 minutes. Those are not speculative projections; they are concrete indicators of how frequently he reads danger and how consistently he works off the ball.

That combination is particularly valuable in a system built around:

• high pressing from the front
• a compact midfield block that has to shift and cover quickly
• full-backs who may push high and require protection in behind

Klopp has long favoured midfielders who can marry tactical discipline with relentless running. Janelt fits neatly into that category, which goes a long way to explaining why he has now been included in a Germany squad selected by the former Liverpool coach.

How Janelt’s Profile Complements Liverpool’s Current Options

For Liverpool under Iraola, Janelt would bring qualities that the current core midfielders either do not naturally possess or cannot consistently provide together in the same unit.

In practical terms, he offers:

• Positional security – operating as a deeper, screening midfielder, allowing Szoboszlai and others more freedom to press higher and attack space.
• Defensive interventions – his interception rate suggests an ability to anticipate passes and disrupt opposition build-up, a key requirement for teams that defend on the front foot.
• Running capacity – his distance covered figures indicate that he can maintain intensity for the full match, underpinning a high-tempo style across multiple competitions.

At 28 years old, Janelt would also arrive in what is typically considered a midfielder’s peak phase. That age profile is significant for squad planning. He is old enough to contribute immediately at Premier League level, yet not so advanced that he represents only a very short-term fix.

Crucially for Liverpool’s long-term strategy, a player in this age bracket does not automatically block younger options. Nyoni, for example, could still be integrated gradually – starting in domestic cups or as a substitute – rather than being forced into a central role before he is ready. Janelt would act as a bridge, absorbing the week-to-week Premier League load while Nyoni’s development continues in a more controlled way.

Competitive and Strategic Impact for Liverpool

At elite level, marginal gains in midfield structure can have outsized consequences across a season. In a league where small details often separate UEFA Champions League qualification from the chasing pack, tightening the middle of the pitch is not simply a tactical preference; it is a strategic necessity.

A more balanced midfield can influence Liverpool’s campaign in several ways:

• Game control – greater stability in central areas reduces the number of chaotic, end-to-end contests that leave even strong attacking sides vulnerable.
• Squad management – a reliable, physically robust midfielder reduces the need to overplay others out of position as a “six”, which can have knock-on effects on form and fatigue.
• Youth integration – having an established, defensively sound option lessens the pressure on Nyoni and other prospects, allowing their introduction to be dictated by readiness rather than necessity.

Within the framework of the Premier League’s fixture density and the additional demands of domestic and European competitions, those factors play directly into Liverpool’s ability to sustain a top-level challenge while refreshing their squad profile.

A Target Aligned With Philosophy and Pathway

Iraola’s vision for Liverpool is clear: a side that presses with coordination, dominates the middle third and uses that platform to feed a high-quality attack. The raw materials are already on the books, particularly in the advanced midfield roles, but the absence of a reliable, defensively oriented partner has left the unit short of coherence.

In that context, Janelt stands out not as a marquee headline name, but as a structurally important piece. His first Germany call-up under Klopp, his distance covered, and his interception numbers all point in the same direction: a player built for high-intensity football and trusted in demanding tactical systems.

For Liverpool, that profile matters as much as individual flair. A 28-year-old midfielder who can anchor the press, read transitions and allow others to play to their strengths would not merely plug a gap; he would give shape to a midfield that currently feels out of sync – while leaving space for Trey Nyoni to grow into the role in his own time.