Romeo Lavia may not be the best player the Reds sign this summer.

In order to avoid losing out on their two recent top targets, Moises Caicedo and Romeo Lavia, both to Chelsea, Liverpool must act quickly to address their midfield dilemma.

Jurgen Klopp appeared to have started the much-needed rebuilding process this summer after bringing in Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboslai, but the Reds are now in a precarious position after selling Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to Saudi Arabian teams.

A new defensive midfielder is absolutely necessary, and Liverpool should now reevaluate their interest in Fulham star Joao Palhinha, who excelled in the Premier League last season.

Is a new midfielder being signed by Liverpool?

This summer, Palhinha attracted interest from both Liverpool and West Ham United, the latter of which is now presumably out of the running after completing the £35 million purchase of Edson Alvarez from Ajax.

Liverpool must decide soon whether to agree to Fulham’s offers for the Portuguese midfielder, who was exceptional in his first season in England last year and could command a cost of at least €60 million (£52 million).

Joao Palhinha: How good is he?

Palhinha offers something in midfield that Liverpool does not, that much is evident.

The 28-year-old has established himself as one of the hardest-tackling, most resilient midfielders in England since joining Fulham from Sporting Lisbon for £20 million last summer. He has played in 40 matches for Marco Silva’s team in all competitions, has scored four goals, and has been dubbed a “tackling machine” by teammate Harrison Reed.

In fact, no other player in the whole Premier League last season made more tackles than he did, 147. For context, Caicedo came in second on the charts, but with just 100.

The 21-cap Portugal international had an average Sofascore rating of 7.00 in the Premier League while completing 83% of his passes, triumphing in 59% of his duels, and putting in an astounding 4.2 tackles per game.

As a point of comparison, Caicedo, who is considered as one of the most talented midfielders in Europe, averaged 2.7 tackles per game while Lavia made 2.1.

A true general in the center, the titan is a wrecking ball and exactly what Liverpool need. According to FBref, Palhinha even ranks among the top 1% of midfielders across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for tackles, the top 11% for clearances, and the top 8% for aerials won per 90.

Even if Lavia is without a doubt one of the most prodigious talents in English football, putting all of Liverpool’s aspirations and goals on his shoulders at the age of 19 is a huge responsibility to bear. He would produce immediate results.

With Liverpool gearing up for a Europa League campaign that will serve as a daily reminder of the struggles of last season, Palhinha could very well provide Klopp just what he needs to right the wrongs at Anfield. He is strong, persistent, and experienced in the middle of furious action.

Lavia is a fantastic adolescent who already ranks in the top 4% of midfielders for blocks per 90, demonstrating his ferocity and accuracy in the tackle. Over the next years, there is no knowing how formidable he will become.

But Palhinha is established; according to journalist Zach Lowy, he is “Casemiro-esque,” and Klopp must now act to alleviate the gloom and anxiety that Liverpool is currently experiencing.