Ideal Liverpool starting lineup vs. Chelsea: Darwin Nunez $64 million Fabinho transfer option.

The season opener for Liverpool against Chelsea is only two weeks away. Darwin Nez is staking his claim, and an immediate fix for Fabinho is required.

If the Fabinho transfer goes through, Liverpool has made two in and six out so far this summer. That’s without counting loan departures, with Fábio Carvalho another first-team option leaving Jürgen Klopp’s ranks for the time being.

Liverpool obviously still has a lot of work to do in the transfer market. Given the problematic injury histories of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Naby Keta, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai can fill in for a number of departing players, but they can’t possibly handle all of the responsibilities by themselves.

However, with the Premier League opener against Chelsea now less than two weeks away, time is running out for Klopp to get his team together. While the preseason has shown a lot of promise, including a sizable number of goals for Darwin Nez, it has also raised some difficult questions.

The person who fills the Fabinho position at Stamford Bridge is at the top of the list. There have been several 0-0 draws between Chelsea and other teams in recent memory, but that outcome this time around seems highly unlikely because Liverpool cannot afford to be vulnerable to a Mauricio Pochettino team that wants to establish its worth.

Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones have both been employed as the number six player thus far. While they have performed admirably, neither is the best choice because the former raises the same concerns about the right-back position and the latter is much more suited for attacking roles.

Thiago and Stefan Bajéti are two other available internal players who are still recovering from injuries. It would be unlikely for either of them to start against Chelsea given the current timelines.

However, a new player must be brought in quickly if Klopp is to have a chance to start the game. Any addition will have little time for preseason training, but Liverpool is still in the window where a professional hire seems preferable to a temporary fix from within.

Roméo Lavia appears to be the deal that could be completed quickly with a strong push from Liverpool’s side. He’s participated in Southampton’s preseason, so at the very least, he’s maintained some level of match acuity. And if the $64 million (£50 million/€ 58 million) asking price is met, Klopp will have the best chance of defeating Chelsea.

Positiver conundrums are present in other parts of the team.

For instance, Klopp will likely have to decide who starts up front throughout the course of the season because Liverpool has an abundance of top-notch options.

It’s Nez who needs to start against Chelsea. As previously stated, a score of 0-0 does not appear to be in the cards; instead, it appears that the game will be wide open, and he has shown this preseason that he can be a threat when given room to attack.

And above all else, he has earned this chance. From a financial perspective, Liverpool is obviously heavily invested in making the Nez plan succeed, and if four goals in three halves of preseason football is not enough to win him a chance, then he is facing a truly uphill battle. Although it’s urgent to get the real long-term ticket into Klopp’s team, it’s evident that the work ethic is there.

If Nez falls short, Cody Gakpo and Diogo Jota, two game-changers from the bench, are available for Liverpool. The Uruguayan should get a chance though given his growing partnership with Mohamed Salah.

Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson; Lavia, Mac Allister, Jones; Daz, Nez, Salah could all start against Chelsea.

Szoboszlai, Jota, Gakpo, Matip, and Gomez are notable substitutes. It was difficult to leave him out, but Liverpool doesn’t want to start from scratch with their midfield.

More news………

As the midfielder’s medical process gets underway, there has been a significant development in Liverpool’s Romeo Lavia agreement.

Before the new Premier League season begins, Liverpool expects to sign at least one marquee player, according to sources speaking to Football Insider.

Romeo Lavia of Southampton is the player the Merseysiders are most interested in signing as a central midfielder.

Liverpool’s £38 million offer for the 19-year-old was turned down by the Saints, but they plan to come back with a better one.

In addition to being interested in Lavia, Chelsea is also prepared to make a formal move for the midfielder as their pursuit of Moises Caicedo appears to be coming to a halt.

However, Liverpool is currently in the lead to sign Lavia and has already reached a personal contract with the player.

As Liverpool looks to bolster their team ahead of the new season, there is still work to be done.

Their first match is against Chelsea on August 13; however, any new player must be registered by Friday, August 11 in order to face the Londoners.

At least one new player will have been signed by then, according to Liverpool.

Fabinho is scheduled to travel to Saudi Arabia to undergo a medical with Al-Ittihad while Jordan Henderson has already left the country.

Chelsea’s interest in Lavia was first made public by Football Insider back in March, along with interest from former club Man City, Arsenal, and Manchester United.

In addition to having a £40 million buy-back option that becomes operational in the summer of 2024, City will be entitled to 20% of any fee received for his services.

34 times in all competitions were made by the 19-year-old last season, who has a contract with Southampton through June 2027.

He has taken the field for the Saints in all of their preseason friendlies to this point, but on Tuesday (25 July), he was substituted out against Bournemouth at halftime.

As the competition for his signature grows, manager Russell Martin later acknowledged the youngster “has a lot on his mind.”.