As we assess the summer transfer priorities for Liverpool Football Club there are a few items that are constantly popping up for everyone.
A defender is of course needed to reinforce the back, a new forward to freshen up the attack and lastly, a long-term defensive midfielder.
One of the names that has been coming up more and more with links to Liverpool this summer is Atalanta's powerhouse Éderson. The Brazilian was one of the most influential players for the Europa League winners in 2023/24.
We're going to take a look to see how he would fit into the Liverpool mold should they get a deal across the line.
What kind of player would Liverpool be getting?
When the Reds signed Wataru Endo last summer to be their stop-gap option at the No. 6 spot, it was met with some trepidation.
However, he turned into one of the more important players in the side, although there was a definite adjustment period to the physicality of the English game. There would be no such concerns if this deal were to come to fruition.
Éderson plays with a tenacity and physicality to his game that in some ways, the English game might have to adjust to him. He is a true powerhouse in the midfield and can handle anyone that tests him.
He has an engine for days that allows him to maintain his high-pressure style for the duration of matches and his tackles are strong but technically efficient. He can play as the solo defensive midfielder or as a double-pivot depending on what the game calls for.
However, it is on the ball where he can elevate himself above his contemporaries at the position. He is one of the linchpins to firing up the ferocious Atalanta counterattacks.
Éderson would be a versatile option for Arne Slot to deploy
Bringing this style of play with him to Liverpool could be just what the doctor ordered for the Reds at the base of their midfield.
Endo, for all that he does well, is somewhat limited in his capacity at the base of the midfield. If Slot were able to plug-in the Brazilian, that could potentially elevate the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch who would be able to focus on getting forward more and doing damage.
Éderson's seemingly endless stamina means he would have no problems adapting to the pressing style that will not be going away anytime soon at Anfield.
Picture a double pivot in Slot's 4-2-3-1 that has Éderson at LDM and Trent Alexander-Arnold at RDM. That could be a dynamic but also well-balanced paring at the base of the midfield. Liverpool would be very familiar with his game as he was one of the standout players in Atalanta's shock elimination of the Reds in the UEL Quarterfinals.
He is one of the more well-rounded defensive midfielders that could be had this summer and a move for him might allow Liverpool to really set themselves up for long-term success at the base of their midfield.