Steve Nicol was critical of the 27-year-old, whom he admitted he had previously presumed would be the right fit alongside Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister at Anfield.
“If they can get somebody beside the two of them [Szoboszlai and Mac Allister] they can just take a step further forward,” the ex-Red spoke on the ESPN FC podcast. “Right now I don’t know [who that could be], I don’t have anyone.
“I used to think Amrabat would be the right one beside them, but at United it’s not quite working out. I thought initially he would be ideal, he could sit just behind the two of them and let them do more going forward.
“But I don’t think Endo’s the answer, I don’t think Jones is the answer. So right now, I think Liverpool need to be on the lookout for somebody.” It didn’t work out that way, fortunately, perhaps, for Jurgen Klopp’s men, though there remain questions over the ideal option to fill the No.6 role at L4.
Wataru Endo has infrequently impressed since his switch away from the German top-flight.
Curtis Jones, also mentioned, has experience playing at the base of the midfield, though simply not enough to mark him out as the standout choice. Do Liverpool buy? Or trust Mac Allister? Statistically, however, it’s worth pointing out that Mac Allister has been far from appalling in the holding role, amassing a superior rate of tackles, blocks and interceptions per 90 compared to Rodri.
In a brand-new midfield that still needs time to mesh, perhaps the Argentine simply needs to be left alone to figure out what is both an integral and complex position.
Liverpool may have dodged a bullet in missing out on Manchester United’s Sofyan Amrabat.
Andre of Fluminense has been heavily linked in the meantime, though recent reports have suggested that Liverpool may be looking in a different direction to solve this challenge.
