Midfielders Liverpool and Man Utd could still sign

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Published before Liverpool bid for Wataru Endo

From Jude Bellingham's big money move to Real Madrid to James Milner's free transfer to Brighton, there have been tons of intriguing deals.

There are still more than a few up for grabs for the top clubs, depending on the kind of profiles necessary in their respective squads.

Let's go through them.

Amadou Onana - Everton

Everton's Amadou Onana was one of the shining lights of a rather disappointing 22/23 Premier League campaign for the Toffees.

The Belgian made 29 starts, scoring once and providing two assists.

Lining up as a box-to-box ball winner in a midfield three, Onana's ability to occupy the middle of the park and be an outlet for long passes from the back was particularly useful in creating space for Everton's attackers.

'Not a natural defensive midfielder'

Not a natural defensive midfielder, Onana's athleticism and considerable frame makes him far more effective when he's allowed to have the freedom to be a presence in both boxes.

This isn't to say that he can't do a job in defensive midfield though.

So for clubs looking to bring him in, he's most effective alongside a deeper-lying player.

That would give him license to roam and be the all-action midfielder his heat map from the past season clearly indicates.

Sofyan Amrabat - Fiorentina

One of Morocco's stand-out players at the men's World Cup in Qatar, Sofyan Amrabat's stock has certainly gone to the next level since.

The 26 year old is a fixture in Vincenzo Italiano's Fiorentina side. The heartbeat of their side.

A defensive midfielder by trade, Amrabat has a lot more to his game than tackles, interceptions and blocks.

Far more than just a destroyer

He has played in different midfield roles over the course of his career, even playing as a box-to-box number eight where his strengths in carrying and dribbling come through.

In fact, when he was at Hellas Verona in the 19/20 season, Amrabat had the fourth-highest successful dribbles in Serie A (75).

There's clearly more to his game than the kind of skillset that would generally fit the definition of a defensive midfielder.

Amrabat is an intelligent and reliable receiver of the ball in deeper areas, providing a disciplined cover to the centre-backs behind him.

The Moroccan has all the traits you need from a modern number six and with good defensive midfielders becoming an increasingly rare commodity, he should be high on the priority list for a number of elite sides, including Manchester United.

The Fiorentina man has worked with United boss Erik ten Hag previously at Twente and a reunion would make Amrabat an excellent back-up option to Casemiro, whose rashness in tackles equals red cards, which equals missed minutes.

Khephren Thuram - OGC Nice

Of all the young players in Ligue 1 last season, Khephren Thuram was the one who made a lasting impression as an exciting talent on the rise.

Son of France legend Lilian and brother of Marcus, this Thuram has more than just a famous name.

The 22-year-old scored twice and assisted four times last season in 30 Ligue 1 starts, but Thuram's game is not about just goals and assists.

'More than just a famous name'

Standing at 6ft 3ins in height, he can be an intimidating prospect to defend against, especially in counter-attacking situations, where his strengths come to fore.

Silky in dribbling on the ball, once Thuram gets going he can be very difficult to contain.

In that regard, he is a huge plus for ball progression especially when trying to escape tight 1v1 scenarios as the Frenchman is deceptively quick.

His final product needs refining and that will no doubt come with time, but Thuram's unique all-round skillset as a progressive midfielder makes him hugely valuable to any midfield.

Andre Frank Zambo-Anguissa - Napoli

Napoli's title-winning side of last season had several key players and while star attackers Khvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen dominated the headlines, Cameroon midfielder Andre Frank Zambo-Anguissa made his mark.

The 27 year old was the perfect compliment to the strengths of Piotr Zielinski and Stanislav Lobotka alongside him.

Incredibly gifted on the ball and more than capable of dominating opponents with his physique, Zambo-Anguissa brings a great deal of value to the pitch.

Bringing security in possession and a great deal of tenacity in his defensive work, Zambo-Anguissa is the very definition of an all-round box to box number eight.

'The very definition of box to box'

Previously at Fulham as well as Villarreal, he has established a reputation for being an extremely effective carrier of the ball, capable of dribbling past his markers repeatedly and aiding build-up play as well as final-third sequences.

Last season, Zambo-Anguissa averaged 5.34 progressive passes per 90, while also completing 1.71 progressive carries per 90, strong numbers considering just how much Napoli dominated possession in their league games.

At Fulham, he developed a good partnership alongside Harrison Reed who was the deeper of the two, so if current clubs are looking to bring him in, he perfectly compliments an existing number six.

Fabian Ruiz - PSG

A bit of a left-field pick, Fabian Ruiz could do with a move away from Paris Saint-Germain this summer.

The Spain international, 27, only amassed 21 Ligue 1 starts last season and was relegated to the bench for this season's opener against Lorient.

Ruiz is not a box-to-box midfielder in his style of play and thrives on being part of a midfield trio, primarily focussing on chance-creation and ball progression against pressure.

In his final season at Napoli in 21/22, Ruiz was in the top 10 for progressive passes as well as touches during the season, underlining his strengths and fit for a ball-dominant side.

More suited to a middle three

With Warren Zaire-Emery knocking on the door of Luis Enrique, it looks as though Ruiz might be the one who will lose his starting spot.

His weaknesses lie out of possession and though he can be positionally reliable, he isn't one who will make a great number of tackles and interceptions.

He is at his best with a greater focus on being the press-resistant creative presence in a midfield three.

Youssouf Fofana - AS Monaco

Monaco's Youssouf Fofana has gone under the radar amid all the talents in French football, but deserves to be talked about just as much as anyone else.

The 24-year-old has been one of the most consistent midfielders in Ligue 1 in recent seasons, which has led to him becoming a France regular.

A classic box-to-box midfielder who is able to provide a great deal of value both in terms of his defensive abilities as well as ball progression, he has played most often in a double pivot.

Playing slightly ahead of a more defensive-minded player, allowing him license to take players on, carry the ball upfield and contributing to the final phase of Monaco's attacks suits him well.

Perfectly capable of playing both a defensive-minded role or a slightly more box-to-box role, he would be a valuable addition to any midfield.

Teun Koopmeiners - Atalanta

Netherlands international Teun Koopmeiners has been on the radar of elite sides for a long time now.

Though he is just 24, he has racked up a great deal of minutes and experience first in the Eredivisie at AZ Alkmaar where he was club captain, and now at Atalanta, where he continues to grow into a Champions League level player.

Koopmeiners has the ability to play across almost every midfield position, playing deeper as the controlling playmaker as well as in the role of a number 10.

Passing ability his biggest strength

Last season, he scored 10 goals and assisted four in 32 Serie A starts and has continued to grow in importance for Gian Piero Gasperini.

Left-footed, Koopmeiners' range of passing and ability to pick out runners from deep is possibly his best asset. Aside from that, he brings a level of security on the ball as well being press-resistant.

For a team like Manchester United that have struggled building out from the back, Koopmeiners would be a huge plus alongside Casemiro in the middle.

Joao Palhinha - Fulham

Fulham's Joao Palhinha was the standout defensive midfielder for the 22/23 Premier League season.

No player across the top five leagues won more tackles than the Portuguese international, nobody attempted more tackles than Palhinha either.

The 27-year-old is in the prime years of his career as a defensive midfielder and covers an incredible amount of ground with his defensive work off the ball.

The ultimate anchorman

On it, Palhinha is average at best and not particularly capable of progressing the ball with his carries or passing, however, there are few who come close to the volume and quality of his defensive work in the middle of the park.

Prizing him away from Craven Cottage would take a premium fee but for clubs looking to fulfil the need of an out and out defensive midfielder, look no further.

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