Leicester City CM Youri Tielemans
The final possible replacement for Gini Wijnaldum this summer is the most unlikely, because Leicester Cit would ask for a premium price and have no real reason to sell him right now. But Youri Tielemans is such a talent that Liverpool fans are dreaming of him, and you have to at least acknowledge a player of his class as an option, regardless of the financial details.
Tielemans has done so much for Leicester in 2020-2021, emerging as a more robust defensive presence, too. One of Brendan Rodgers’ best players, Tielemans also has a great deal of technical class and end product out of center midfield, as he scored six goals with four assists in England’s top flight this season.
The 24-year-old averaged 1.3 key passes per game with 1.4 fouls drawn per game and 1.1 dribbles completed per game, and he averaged 2.3 tackles per game and 1.3 interceptions per game.
That sort of all-around production is downright world-class. It really is. You can’t name many midfielders in Europe’s top five leagues who can score, assist, create, and defend at that high of a level. Leicester City have a special player in Tielemans, and if there’s any chance Liverpool can sign him, they have to look into it. He’s not a realistic option, but I think he’s someone worth dreaming about from a Liverpool perspective.