Liverpool may be within touching distance of the Premier League title, but numerous uncertainties remain over player futures beyond the current season.

With Mohamed Salah, club captain Virgil van Dijk and vice-captain Trent Alexander-Arnold all out of contract, a mini-rebuild could be set to take place during the summer transfer window.

The Reds will be hoping to strengthen in multiple areas before the start of the 2025/26 season, and Arne Slot is desperate to provide sufficient midfield cover for Ryan Gravenberch.

Wataru Endo and Tyler Morton are potential options, but it remains to be seen whether the pair will remain at Liverpool in the longer-term.

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Slot would like a younger, but experienced head to facilitate for Gravenberch when needed.

We will be discussing five names for the defensive midfield role that the Reds will undoubtedly look towards strengthening this summer.

ANGELO STILLERDaniel Kopatsch/Getty Images.

Angelo Stiller is rated-highly in the Bundesliga, becoming one of the best performing midfielders in Germany.

The VfB Stuttgart man has excelled since making the switch from Hoffenheim in the summer of 2023 and has gone on to attract the attention of Liverpool among other clubs.

Stiller’s contract does contain a release clause of just £30million as revealed by BILD’s Christian Falk, but unfortunately that won’t come into play until 2026, therefore the German club are likely to demand a larger fee for their midfielder.

The German has earned comparisons towards Real Madrid’s Toni Kroos as well as Bayern Munich’s Joshua Kimmich, and would fit straight into Arne Slot’s brand of possession football.

If Liverpool are to secure the signing of Angelo Stiller then their efforts could be forced to intensify with Madrid monitoring the player’s situation closely.

EDERSONANP via Getty Images.

Liverpool have held a long-standing interest in Brazilian, Ederson dos Santos.

The midfielder is currently of Atalanta in the Serie A, Italy’s top flight, and rumours have been circulating since January of last year.

Predominantly a box-to-box midfielder, Ederson can also be deployed in the holding role and whilst on Liverpool’s radar for this long, it would not come as a complete surprise if the club are to pursue a deal.

His value has skyrocketed since the shock UEFA Europa League victory for Atalanta at Anfield last season, and the Reds would be required to meet the £50million valuation of the player, with three years remaining on his current contract.

Liverpool have sent scouts out to watch the Brazilian this season, but the Nerazurri are under no pressure to sell.

HUGO LARSSONChristian Kasper-Bartke/Getty Images.

Eintracht Frankfurt’s Hugo Larsson has become a more recent candidate for Liverpool’s potential midfield recruit.

Larsson is a popular figure in the Bundesliga and offers attacking threat, as well as the versatility to play in any midfield role.

He is known as an attacking midfielder, but can also perform as an anchor, defensively.

The highly-rated Swedish talent is experiencing a good first season at Frankfurt since arriving for as little as £8million last summer and could be set to make a big money move, just twelve months later.

BILD most recently confirmed that Liverpool are chasing the 20-year-old, but he does come with a significant asking price of £50.1million although with the German club forming an interest towards Wataru Endo, a potential exchange could be on the cards.

Endo has struggled for minutes under Arne Slot this season and is one of the names upon Frankfurt’s list, but any move would depend on them securing qualification for next season’s UEFA Champions League.

CARLOS BALEBAMike Hewitt/Getty Images.

Liverpool’s appreciation of Brighton’s Carlos Baleba remains ahead of the summer window.

The Mali man has proved to be a revelation since making the £23million move from LOSC Lille in 2023 and has went onto become one of the most sought-after young talents in Europe.

Baleba arrived on the south-coast as the ideal replacement for Moises Caicedo that summer, who had opted against a move to Liverpool in favour of Chelsea, despite a £110million Deadline Day deal already agreed.

But, it’s clear to see who had the last laugh with the Reds bringing in four midfielders for considerably less than the price Chelsea paid for Caicedo.

As for Baleba, he has become a huge talent whilst at Brighton and the club are no strangers to selling their players for big money.

A reported fee of £115million is the Seagulls minimum valuation of their young star and aren’t prepared to accept any less.

For many supporters, a defensive midfield duo of Carlos Baleba and Ryan Gravenberch is the dream, but the fee is the main stumbling block.

As Liverpool prepare for a big summer with numerous reinforcements needed, spending that amount on one player, may not be feasible.

JOAO GOMES

Wolves’ Joao Gomes has been strongly linked with a move to Liverpool in recent months.

The midfielder has impressed since arriving from Flamengo in 2023 and has attracted numerous amounts of interest from top European clubs, not just the Reds.

Although just five months earlier, Gomes confirmed his admiration towards Liverpool when quizzed on the topic of his ‘dream’ club.

He said, “Liverpool is a team I would play for.

My biggest dream in football.”

Wolves value Gomes at £50million and any sale would see his former club, Flamengo, recieve £7million due to inserting a selling clause in the contract.

It remains to be seen whether Liverpool would be prepared to meet the asking price for Gomes, but he is certainly a player they have monitored for some time.

Arne Slot’s midfield have looked fatigued in recent weeks due to the amount of minutes played this season.

The trusted trio of Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai is borderline perfect, but they will certainly welcome a fresh face in order to receive more rest and recovery in-between matches.

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