Sensational midfielder confirms he wants to join Liverpool | OneFootball

Richard Hughes is set to prioritise midfield reinforcements in the upcoming summer transfer window, with growing uncertainty surrounding several key players.

Curtis Jones is one to watch, as he approaches the final year of his contract without a clear breakthrough in negotiations. His situation only heightens the need for Liverpool to reassess both their depth and long-term plans in midfield.

There are also lingering doubts over the futures of Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, despite both being under contract until the end of the 2027/28 season.

The situations aren’t identical, though. Szoboszlai seems to be further along in discussions with the club, hinting at a mutual desire to reach an agreement.

Mac Allister’s case is less settled. Talks seems to have faded about an extension, raising doubts over where Liverpool and the Argentine truly stand.

On top of that Mac Allister is reportedly attracting attention from the likes of Real Madrid, which definitely opens up the possibility of Liverpool perhaps entertaining selling him for the right price.

With so much still up in the air, this summer could be a defining moment for Liverpool’s midfield rebuild. And a new name has entered the running.

Liverpool are a club who are always looking to reinforce their options with the best young talent on the market.

We've seen the Reds recruit players of a certain profile with a lot more intensity over the last year or so under Richard Hughes and Michael Edwards' leadership.

This has seen players like Armin Pecsi, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye join the club. Sidy Barhama Ndiaye is also expected to sign for Liverpool when he turns 18-years-old.

There's a clear pattern here. They are all players who wouldn't qualify for a work-permit but due to the ESC rules, which give exemption to four players at a time for Premier League clubs to register them without needing to qualify for the points based system that determines work-permits, and Liverpool are now taking advantage of this rule.

Could they add further players in the coming years?

That definitely seems to the target, and midfield is probably an area where they will be looking to strengthen.

One player, who will be hoping to catch the attention, if he hasn't already attracted Liverpool scouts is Abdoulaye Doumbia.

The 18-year-old Ivorian midfielder joined BK Hacken in Sweden only a few months ago but he is quickly emerging as one of the best young talents in the league.

Doumbia is a sensational midfielder, who covers a lot of ground and has the ability to win duels at a high volume and regain possession of the ball on a consistent basis.

He has won 62% of his 5.59 defensive duels per 90 minutes and also averages 8.29 recoveries and 5.01 interceptions per 90 minutes for his new club.

Those are impressive defensive numbers but that's not all he is about.

Doumbia is an excellent passer of the ball, and he's comfortable in possession - especially when needing to break lines.

In the opening game of the league season, he made 14 passes into the opposition's final third. He averages just under seven progressive passes per 90 minutes.

© IMAGO - Abdoulaye Doumbia Liverpool

And it looks like he is someone who has his eyes on a potential move to Liverpool. Doumbia speaking to Fotboll Direkt in Sweden confirmed that he would like to play for Liverpool one day.

“My dream is to play in the best leagues, the biggest tournaments like the Champions League," Doumbia said.

“I want to play with my national team in the World Cup and win trophies. I like Real Madrid and Barcelona too.

“I can also imagine playing for clubs like Liverpool.”

That will be music to the ears of Richard Hughes, maybe not the first part. But the second part about Liverpool is exciting. Being named among Barcelona and Real Madrid shows the club's status in world football right now.