Liverpool are ready to sign the next Declan Rice for only £30m | OneFootball

Liverpool's midfield has been a weak link for them in the early days of Andoni Iraola's rein at Anfield.

The Reds seems to have improved at both ends of the pitch since the dismissal of Arne Slot in the spring, but the team is often let down by poor performances in the middle of the park.

After sanctioning the sale of Curtis Jones without a replacement in the summer, Iraola is left with a slightly thin midfield department and a fresh face looks to be a top priority in the winter window.

One of the names being heavily linked with a Merseyside move is Fiorentina's Cher Ndour, but is the Italian really the answer to Liverpool's problems?

Who is Cher Ndour?

Having become a mainstay at Fiorentina last season, Ndour has found himself a wanted man with Liverpool one of several Premier League clubs linked with a €35 million (~£30m) move.

Despite only being 22-years-old, Ndour has already experienced top-flight football in France, Portugal, Turkey and Italy and has earned two caps for Italy's national team.

Ndour's physical profile, standing at 6'3, may give the impression that he is more of a holding midfielder, but the Italian's game is much more progressive than that.

His ability to carry the ball and his impressive passing would make him a great addition to Iraola's midfield, and he could become a key link between the backline and the attack.

A physically powerful midfielder, the 22-year-old is progressive without being a high-volume dribbler and his physicality and pressing ability will draw comparisons to some of the Premier League's best midfielders.

Ndour's strength in the transition is strikingly similar to Declan Rice's, and although the two have very different physical profiles, his utility in multiple phases is similar to that of Bruno Guimares.

Liverpool's midfield has looked unbalanced this campaign, with Florian Wirtz, Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch all tending to push further up the pitch.

Ndour isn't going to come in and be an anchor in the Reds' midfield, Lamine Camara would be a better target for that role, but his ability to transition the ball and his physicality could bring balance back to Iraola's side and help unlock the midfield.