Liverpool boss Arne Slot may already have the perfect alternative for Ryan Gravenberch within his squad, which could save the club millions.
When Dutchman Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp in the summer, one of the major talking points was Liverpool's midfield.
Many fans believed that the Reds needed to bring in a natural No. 6 in order to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City.
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And it looked like Slot agreed as Liverpool picked out Real Sociedad star Martin Zubimendi as their primary midfield target.
However, the Spaniard rejected a move to Anfield and chose to stay with the La Liga side.
As a result, Liverpool decided not to chase other targets, meaning Slot had to think on his feet to solve the issue.
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In turn, Slot gave Gravenberch the chance to operate at the base of his midfield, which has turned out to be a masterstroke.
The 22-year-old grabbed the chance with two hands and has become one of the best midfielders in the Premier League this season.
Despite Gravenberch's impressive performances, many fans still feel the club should bring in another defensive midfielder as an alternative option. However, the perfect solution could be at Anfield already.
Liverpool already have the perfect Ryan Gravenberch back up within the club
On Wednesday night, Liverpool took on Dutch side PSV Eindhoven in the UEFA Champions League knowing their passage to the last 16 was already secured.
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Therefore, Slot left Gravenberch and several other big-name players at home and gave chances to fringe players and youngsters.
One of those to benefit was James McConnell, who started at the heart of midfield and played the full 90.
During the match, McConnell managed to make more tackles than the rest of the Liverpool team and also racked up three ball recoveries and three interceptions.
The 20-year-old showed great calmness when in possession of the ball and played some nice passes.
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Overall, McConnell was extremely impressive, which led to Slot making a U-turn on his immediate future.
Speaking after the match, Slot confirmed that McConnell will not be loaned out for the remainder of the season, which could mean that more first-team opportunities are on the horizon.
He said: "There’s definitely one that will not go out on loan: James McConnell. I liked him a lot today. Maybe the end result today would be good for him to go and play (elsewhere) but he is a player who hasn’t played a lot in the last six or seven months as he was injured for a while. He impressed me a lot today.
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"He is competitive in the training sessions we had, he is always very competitive. I’m not surprised (by how he played), but you always wonder how you will react at this level. James plays and is competitive. He definitely deserves credit for his performance today."
Topics: Arne Slot, Ryan Gravenberch, Football, Liverpool, Champions League
Marcus Chan