Liverpool got exactly what they deserved on Sunday after failing to turn up for the Carabao Cup final.
The Reds have been brilliant for much of the season, but have suffered a really damaging week.
After being knocked out of the Champions League by PSG, the cup final defeat against Newcastle further laid bare the problems within the Liverpool squad.
For a lot of supporters, Liverpool’s issue has been a lack of rotation throughout much of the campaign.
With Arne Slot keen to keep rhythm amongst his best players, he has failed to keep them fresh for when it really matters.
Nowhere has this been as stark as in the midfield, where Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister look completely spent. And as Slot begins to look ahead to the transfer window, he absolutely has to action a £34m fix to help the Liverpool midfield.
Angelo Stiller can fix Liverpool’s midfield issue
There is little question that Liverpool’s starting midfield three is one of the best in the Premier League and probably in Europe.
However, there was a reason Slot was desperate to sign Martin Zubimendi last summer. The Liverpool head coach only trusts four of his midfielders to start games.
Alongside Mac Allister and Gravenberch, Curtis Jones has played plenty as one of the Reds’ deeper lying midfielders. But with Jones usually giving Mac Allister a rest, Gravenberch has been going again and again.
The Dutchman will perhaps be better for playing so much this season after a couple of years of relative inactivity. But as seen in the Carabao Cup final – and in other games recently – it has taken it’s toll.
READ MORE: Arne Slot owes Federico Chiesa a big apology after Liverpool’s Carabao Cup defeat to Newcastle
With Slot not trusting Wataru Endo to start matches, it’s blatantly clear that a transfer priority has to be bringing in a player who the boss is happy to put in to give Gravenberch a rest.
And in our opinion, Stuttgart midfielder Angelo Stiller ticks every box. The 24-year-old has a reported release clause of around £34m, which would not break the bank for Liverpool.
At that kind of price, the Reds can afford to bring Stiller in as a quality rotational option who can both ease the burden on Gravenberch and perhaps even develop into a long-term starter.
Arne Slot must learn Liverpool lessons
You can understand the logic behind what Slot has tried to do with the likes of Gravenberch this season. You want your best players on the pitch as often as possible, that’s clear.
| Successful Passes | Pass Accuracy | Tackles Won | Duels Won | Chances Created | |
| Ryan Gravenberch | 1,321 | 89.3% | 53.8% | 57.8% | 23 |
| Angelo Stiller | 1,742 | 89.4% | 52.4% | 58.9% | 41 |
But with so many high intensity games coming over the course of Liverpool’s season, Slot has quite clearly overplayed his hand.
Given that it’s his first season in English football, it is not a surprise to see the Dutchman have to cop for a learning curve like this one.
He likes a smaller playing squad and that’s fine. But when it comes to the crunch of the season, the only way to keep key men like Gravenberch fit and firing is by giving them sufficient time off, too.
You have to trust your squad, and with Slot obviously not fancying the likes of Endo from the start, Liverpool absolutely have to bring in someone who suits the boss. Stiller can be that man.